


The C-Complex

by orphan_account



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Aged-Up Yuri Plisetsky, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Anal Sex, Angst, Angst and Porn, Blood and Gore, Blow Jobs, Canon Gay Relationship, Character Death, Dubious Consent, Gay Sex, Graphic Description, M/M, POV Katsuki Yuuri, Sex, Yuri On Ice Zombie AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-04
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-09-22 01:17:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 50
Words: 64,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9575414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: "You're Viktor Nikiforov, aren't you?" I muttered. "You won five consecutive World Championships, five Grand-Prix finals -""Quiet," he warned. "I'm not - I don't think about that any more. It doesn't fucking matter."NSFW chapters are highlighted with [NSFW] for those who want an angst-less experience.





	1. False Hope

**Author's Note:**

> This was an idea requested by an anonymous user on Tumblr! All aboard the feels train.  
> \----  
> It's too good to be true for Yuri.

Vicchan always had a significant rumble whenever he led down on my lap. It was due to me being right there, as something to sleep on. He was happy where he was and nothing was ever going to change that. He was so small; I'd describe him as the light of my life. I provided him with unconditional love and he gave me the dog's equivalent. He was the softest, most adorable dog I'd ever seen, and even when he was a puppy my parents would say how much of a handsome dog he was going to grow into.

And they were right. My parents were right about many things. I adored skating ever since was a child, and with my best friend Phichit, we thought we'd conquer the world. The silver-haired hero we both looked up to was always our favourite. We'd watch him choreograph beautiful sequences which were then performed in front of thousands of people, and millions when you count those who watched through the television. Phichit and I included. 

But alas, it was almost too good to be true. Upon opening my eyes and recognising the same damp, disgusting stench of the untreated hot springs and corpses lying around outside, I looked over to my tattered backpack and turned on my useless cellphone. I was surprised it still worked. Although phone services shut down three months ago, and the only source of electricity was through a generator, it had around fifty percent left. I used it to scroll through photos so I could remember old times. Now, it seems impossible that things used to be like that. Phichit and I barely smile. The heating system only works once in a while, if we're lucky. The bathrooms aren't maintained and can't be fixed. The hot spring's warmth made a perfect breeding place for algae, spores and bacteria. We found a family of frogs in there the other day. We didn't dare to look in the water. Not after what happened to a few customers that were plagued with the Cupidity Complex.

The only food sources we have are the Ice Castle and the kitchen. There are quite a few non-perishable foods in the cupboards sometimes, but if we needed a drink or somewhere to store meat (which consisted of trying to loot other people's homes, finding dead animals, and other game) we had to sprint down to the rink to retrieve it. And it wasn't easy. There were days where the streets were littered with the undead, otherwise there'd be a few stumbling around mindlessly, allowing themselves to be drawn in by the hungry disease.

Right now, those who are alive are trying to rule the world. There are those who are starving and unable to fend for themselves. There are those who have children and are incredibly vulnerable. However, there are a few lucky ones who happen to have weapons, or armour, or food. Or all three. And currently, they're having the best survival experience in their lives. They probably have a generator, a source of heat, and working water systems. They may have first aid kits or medicines to aid them. Painkillers to help with bullet wounds and bandages to prevent blood loss. Half of them could be doctors. Maybe even chefs. Cadets. Technicians. The only qualities Phichit and I yield are our fitness. And even that's going downhill - the lack of a good diet leaves us with a slow metabolism and aching muscles, even if we're only running for a short while. Going outside is far too dangerous for a jog.

Although, as Phichit cautiously closed the door behind him and ran his fingers through unwashed hair, he threw me a bottle of water and sat down beside me. It was ice cold. He probably sifted through the smashed vending machine we both looted when the pandemic rose. I missed the Ice Castle. I still had my skates in my bag - they were covered in blood, especially the blades. Luckily, it wasn't infected. Someone had left them near a healthy human when a shooting happened. It wasn't to harm the innocent - only drive away the undead.

"There aren't a lot out there today," he grinned, "You know you'll have to run out on your shift, right? It's getting dark and you know what that means."

"We're going to stay in complete darkness," I sighed. "I can't remember the last time we flicked on a light, Phichit."

"Remember those lights in Detroit?" he turned to me, reassuringly clasping my shoulder. "We'd stare and stare until we saw tiny spots in our vision. We though they were beautiful. Do you remember, Yuri?"

"I bet more than half of them don't work right now," I placed the bottle next to me. "We can't keep hoping. We can't keep saying how gorgeous everything was. We're allowed to remember, but not for that long. The world doesn't work like that any more. I don't think we even have the time to reminisce before getting killed."

"I understand," Phichit shrugged. "We'll be alright as long as we have one another. But if one of us dies, I don't think it'll be beneficial. We only have one pistol and none of us can fire it. It was in the kit the government gave us so long ago."

"The government doesn't even exist, Phichit," I replied. "I'd probably shoot myself as soon as you're gone. I can't do anything to fend myself. I'm not that sort of person. I'm weak."

"I don't think you're weak, Yuri," he flicked off the light, blanketing us in darkness. "I think the apocalyptic lifestyle has brought out our raw personalities." 

"I guess so," I yawned. "It's hard, Phichit."

"I know, Yuri."

We both had to keep quiet from then on. The silence was eerie and discomforting. I loved the conversations we had, even if it was only small talk. I could talk to Phichit about anything and everything - we didn't need entertainment when we had each other. It was a friendship we both treasured. Phichit fell asleep in moments, which meant I had to be weary. My eyelids were drooping. My head was fuzzy and I couldn't concentrate.

The sound of the undead scuttling around outside was too close for comfort. I kept peering through the small crease in the blinds to see if I had to do something about it, but it was too dark. I heard the noises of people shouting, and I didn't know if they were dead or alive. I had to keep Phichit and I hidden - it was a risk to us even if they were healthy. 

I looked at the Ice Castle. It was quite a while away to run if we needed an emergency water supply. There were plentiful amounts of rotten, fly-ridden corpses lying on the diseased ground. I heard the sounds of Spitters regurgitating acid into the bodies of their prey. To think that I could be one of them sent shivers down my spine. I lived every day in discomfort and fear. Every day was a survival mission and we were introduced to the idea that every morning was going to be our last, unless we survived.

However, I had been looking out for too long. I quickly regained my position in the supply room, where I should have surrendered before Phichit fell asleep. He woke up and shuffled into the cold room before we sat down again. The loaded pistol sat lifeless in my sweating palm. I hoped that I wouldn't need it. 

The shouting grew louder. The Spitter's gargles became intimidating. The groans and heavy breathing of the dead were menacing and closer than I had thought. I tried nudging Phichit to wake him up, but it was to no avail. I sat there with my heart pounding in my throat, anxiousness threading painfully through my veins. This happened every night. I didn't know why I hadn't gotten used to the feeling of intimidation.

I had began to accept my fate, just like every night. We were in the innermost room of the building. But I still felt unsafe. The shouting, I had gathered, were probably from those who were survivors, but I had to keep Phichit and I hidden. There was no way we were going to die by the hands of looters.

"There's nothing here," one called. "Nothing just empty bottles."

 _Shit_. It was too dangerous yesterday to clean ourselves up.

"Take them anyway," another voice replied. "I've got everything else."

"Can we not investigate through here?"

I froze. My hard breath made clouds in the air. I shivered, huddling into the corner and the warmth of Phichit. Were my teeth chattering too loud? I hoped not. I clasped the pistol in a tight grip. My hands shook too hard for me to aim properly, let alone fire. I closed my eyes and wished myself to sleep. I needed to. It was the best way to keep quiet. They were male voices.

I heard footsteps in the entrance.  _They were going to find our food supply._ We needed that. Desperately.

But so did they.

"There's a lot of useless shit in here," the same voice spoke. "Most of the stuff is empty."

"Yeah? Then stop wasting time. I bet he's waiting for us back at base."

I wondered how they survived this far. I wondered how  _we_ survived this far.

One set of footsteps came creeping closer - I became more and more unsettled by the second. I felt my heart ache with panic. Phichit stirred, almost hitting the metal lockers. The voices drew closer, until they were muffled right outside the door.

I hid myself in my coat. Shit, I was going to die.  _We_ were going to die. So many aspirations we both had, and they were going to waste. Scared tears streamed down my cheeks as cold sweat beaded over my forehead. They could have left the door open and let the Spitter through. I didn't want to be devoured. Being a zombie could be more painful than being alive.

I breathed hard. Too hard, too loud for my liking. I curled up tighter, gritting my teeth shut. I aimed the pistol at the door just in case.  _Just in case._ I gazed over to my best friend, choking on tears. My throat was sore.

But no matter how hard I tried to keep quiet, it didn't stop the people outside from kicking open the door.


	2. Goodbye, Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri and Phichit are taken.

They were tall. And they appeared almost too powerful for our liking. Phichit had awoken in a frightened daze, as if he'd been splashed by a bucket of freezing water. His panicked eyes looked like a deer in headlights - now wasn't the time to think about how beautiful deer used to be. We were cooped up in a cold, dank room, and it hadn't even been an hour. We were cornered, quite literally. The pistol was shaking in my palm as I aimed up at the men; one held a baseball bat, and the other, a long sword, similar to a machete. I couldn't imagine the amount of pain that could cause.

"Won't you look at that," the man on the left spoke. He had a blond undercut that was tousled and stained with dirt. They both looked healthy; there were no dark circles under their eyes and their skin gave off an unnatural glow. I didn't trust them from the moment I heard them, and I was right.

"What are your names?" the other asked in a hushed shout. This one had black hair and icy grey eyes. They peered deeply into mine, reading every thought that ran through my mind. I was mute with fear. The pistol was easily taken out of my hand - almost too easily. I had let our guard down. We had nothing else to defend ourselves.

"What are your names?!" he repeated, holding the pointed end of the weapon he yielded against my throat.

"Yuri!" I breathed, "Katsuki Yuuri!"

I choked on my breath as I gulped for air. Phichit was quivering, and I thought he'd be able to handle these sort of situations a lot braver than I.

"I'm P-Phichit Chulanont," he swallowed. I felt his hard breathing moistening the nape of my neck. I couldn't cry again, I was always told it was a sign of weakness. And I couldn't afford to be weak at this moment. Zombies could scuffle in and kill us all, the two unknown men included.

"Yuri and Phichit," the blond scoffed. "Do you have anything we could have? It's a life and death situation."

"W-we don't have anything to offer, sir," Phichit tried to grin. I knew it was a blatant lie. We had bottles of clean water lying around in plain sight and cans of rice and beans in the kitchen.

"So -"

"No, no!" I corrected him, "We have water and a couple of cans of food if you need them!"

Anything to keep us alive. I was petrified for the sake of Phichit's lying. He could have killed us if I hadn't have tossed the men unopened bottles of water and the odd can of rice from my backpack. It was an emergency can if we both got slightly lost. We wouldn't wander too far from home.

The men had thick European accents which even I found hard to understand. But as they snatched the supplies out of my hand and glared at Phichit threateningly, I felt even more vulnerable than before. They had taken our clean water - not all, we had two bottles left - and struck fear into our hearts. And we were clueless of their actions to follow. The blond ordered us to stand, before forcefully wrapping cloth gags around our mouths and dragging us out. I clutched my beloved backpack close to me, even though it was on the verge of tearing into two. It held memories that I couldn't bear to forget. As a forfeit for lying, we were punched square in the jaw, earning a pained cry from Phichit. I merely kept quiet, allowing the searing pain to spread throughout my entire face.

We were pushed outside, into the bitter night. The street crawled with the undead and I daren't go closer to any of them. The Spitter was close to the Ice Castle. I looked over to my best friend and gave him a reassuring nod. _Everything should be fine_. His eyes were full of fear, and his chin quivered, as if on the verge of crying out. I hoped he wouldn't. He'd give our position away; the crawlers, as well as the other zombies, had bad eyesight and hearing. But it didn't stop them from moving closer and clumsily, but painfully, devouring us.

The two led us to a small truck outside a worn-down house. We were practically thrown into the boot, too scared to fight, and too tired to scream for help. Nobody could hear us, anyway. I looked over at Phichit again. His chest heaved as he averted his eyes to the window. His tears were dried upon his cheeks. The bruise forming on his jaw looked as if it felt a lot less worse than mine did. Every time I moved my mouth, it was sore. I couldn't bear to think of the things that could happen when we arrived to wherever we were going.

"Don't make a fucking sound," the blond hissed. "You both know what will happen. Understand?"

"We both want to live as much as you too do, but we can't guarantee your safety if you disobey us."

I nodded. As we drove away, I looked back at the Ice Castle slowly disappearing from view, as well as the home I grew up in. As much as I wanted to stay, I understood that it was unsafe to stay in the same area all the time. I was partly thankful for the men 'rescuing' us. We ran over many crawling zombies with a few disgusting crunches, and the reek of corpses drifted through my nostrils. Those people were once functioning citizens. I found that hard to believe.

Around half an hour, or what seemed like half an hour, later, we arrived at an isolated building which appeared to look like a library. I didn't recognise it at all, after living here for the majority of my life. The men pulled us out of the vehicle and fastened out wrists behind our backs, before forcing us inside. I heard Phichit whimpering beside me, and the emotional pain he felt began to affect me too. My heart pounded harder than before. This could be the last time I saw the night sky.

The windows were boarded with thick wooden planks, and the only light source was from the window on the left, which was a dim bulb that flickered every so often. We walked inside, with a burning pain in our jaws. I hoped we wouldn't be required to speak.

The door was locked behind us and we were instantly greeted by the smell of dust and metal. We were thrown to our knees and presented to a pale-skinned man sliding a book back into the shelf.

"We have visitors, V," the blond chuckled. "They were near the Ice Castle. They had a can of food and water but we'll probably go back there for another raid."

The slender, muscular man walked over to us, with his hands folded over his chest. Silver hair hung loosely over his left eye. The eyes that pierced our souls; icy, blue, distrusting, threatening. Unforgiving. Phichit sobbed.

"We believe they mean no harm," the other said. "The one with glasses couldn't even hold a pistol properly."

The men sat themselves down on two chairs. The leather used to create them had worn down and torn.

He crouched down in front of us. The silver-haired looked oddly familiar, but the dirt smeared on his cheeks and the stitches around his left eyebrow weren't helping.

"Have you been bitten? Are you infected?" he asked in a hushed tone. We shook our heads cautiously, preventing our jaws hurting even more.

He stood back up. His dark, faded jeans straightened. "I want you two to listen.

"My name is Viktor Nikiforov. The blond sat on the left is Chris. The other, Jean. We take precautions very seriously, especially when letting others into our isolated area."


	3. A New Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phichit and Yuri are in unbearable pain; and it's difficult to talk when your life is on the line.

Viktor's eyes were menacingly piercing. I was terrified of making the wrong move just in case it was my last. There were plenty of gruesome ways to die in this society, now. I didn't want Phichit and I to be thrown helplessly into the putrid streets as zombie food. We have nothing to defend ourselves. We may as well be the most vulnerable people in Hasetsu. He strolled around us, inspecting us closely, like a hawk over a piece of meat. I felt his eyes all over me, and I hated it. In fact, I began to wish that I was back home. At least I would be living in a lot less fear than I was now.

Chris gave Viktor our pistol, which was then aimed directly at our heads. I knew it was loaded. My backpack was torn from my hand and sifted through. I tried to speak; I had forgotten about the gag. My jaw was aching, sending a pounding headache through my skull.

"Can you fight, Yuri?" he asked, in a low, husky tone. I shook my head. The barrel of the pistol was hit against my forehead, causing me to grunt in pain. "You're useless to us."

He placed the pistol on a table beside him. A lamp stood broken, looking more pathetic than I was. Viktor walked back to our positions and grinned, the cut on his lip raising.

"Are you able to do anything at all?" he asked. "Christophe, get the cloths out of their fucking mouths."

The blond walked over and unfastened the uncomfortable gags that were muting us. Phichit held still, to my surprise.

"Speak." Viktor demanded. Sweat beaded upon my forehead again. I couldn't show signs of weakness; my life depended on it.

"I-I, well, we, are quite fit," I muttered, turning to Phichit. "We're able to sprint for long periods of time but may need to replenish in a good diet before setting out."

"Y-yeah," Phichit half-grinned. "W-we're rather strong, but perhaps not r-right now...?"

"We could fight if we were taught." My best friend and I nodded simultaneously, trying to gulp down the lump in our throats. I knew Phichit was scared, if not more terrified, than I was. He was never good at being approached or confronted. The pounding headache grew worse, and my vision started to blur. My entire skull was flared and bruised - I had never felt so much torture.

Viktor looked over to his acquaintances and raised an eyebrow. "Stamina, then? I guess we can cope with that."

"Are you serious?" Jean scoffed. "We can't take scrawny  _boys_ into the base, they have no service! They'll have nothing to do! They'll just drag us down."

Phichit and I definitely weren't scrawny. If anything, we had a good amount of muscle, even greater if we were offered a balanced diet. But the apocalyptic lifestyle left us with merely rice, beans, and water. It just wasn't enough to keep us awake. Viktor picked up the pistol and aimed it at my forehead again, causing my heart to pound against my chest. If we weren't needed, then nobody needed us at all. We were going to die. I gritted my teeth and stared into the cold, piercing eyes of Viktor, who seemed entirely careless about whether our lives were lost or not. I was going to be shot in front of my best friend and I certainly didn't want him to see that.

"Do we have any need for these two?" he asked. 

"They could assist us with overcoming the other camp." Jean shrugged. "Otherwise, just kill them, Viktor. Put them out of their misery."

Phichit whimpered. The silver-haired put down the pistol once again. "That's a certainty."

I exhaled a breath of relief. My mind was reeling in a state of panic and I felt sick. I was constantly reminded of the face of Viktor, who seemed too familiar for my own comfort. I didn't want to remember. Anything I thought of now hurt. It made my headache worse to reminisce, even if I thought of good moments in the past.

"Christophe, get the bandages, the antiseptic, and the rest of the first aid kit," Viktor sighed. "We're taking these two in. I think they could do some use for us."

Phichit and I sank to our knees as our wrists were untied. We were going to be alright, at least for the moment in time. I clutched my stomach and heaved, gulping for air, with sweat dripping down my forehead. Phichit rubbed my back as he trembled in fright. 

As soon as we stood back up, we were led to a different room, which was fashioned to look like a living room. It consisted of bookshelves being pushed against the wall, leather couches as a centerpiece, and two small tables in the middle to recreate a coffee table. It felt so different. You didn't have to branch out this far to recreate a living room in the past. Phichit and I were sat opposite one another. Jean tended to my friend's jaw, as Viktor held a bag of ice against my forehead. He wiped antiseptic cream over a tiny open wound just below my jawline. He was being gentler than I expected - I felt grateful. I hope Phichit did too.

"So, you two were hiding at the hot springs beside the Ice Castle?" Viktor said, dragging my backpack across the floor and placing it beside the tattered couch. "Aren't you lucky that you were  _found._ "

"I wouldn't say found," I shrugged. Why was he being so welcoming and calm? "We were discovered, I think."

"And Jean said he found a cellphone, a pair of bloody ice skates, and a photo album in your backpack," he raised an eyebrow. "I don't think the rink will be maintained enough, don't you think? Are they memories? Do they comfort you?"

I nodded forlornly.

Viktor sighed. "I won't tell you to get rid of them. Just keep them out of my sight. I don't want them bringing you down when your life is on the line."

He removed the ice and bandaged the side of my head. "Just be fucking thankful, alright?"

I nodded. "We are thankful. We couldn't be more grateful for this."

The silver-haired grinned. "Just don't do anything drastic. Don't draw attention to this area, no matter how isolated you think we are, there are still a few of the undead that could be hiding in unexpected places."

"Where's the other base Jean was talking about?" Phichit piped up. "Are they enemies?"

"It's an unsettled feud." Viktor glared. "Do not ask about them again."

"They're ones that haven't quite been hit by Cupid's bow," Chris laughed, "But they're weird enough, they might as well have been."

"If you were hit by Cupid's bow, then you're infected," Viktor explained. "You two better not be fucking lying."

My blood ran cold. We hadn't lied at all so far, but I couldn't trust Phichit with his answers all the time.

"Anyway," he cracked his knuckles and stood up. "I'll try and get you something to eat. We found a farm the other day. It's chicken tonight."

"How do you cook things?" Phichit asked. I was thinking the same thing.

"The library used to have a small kitchen which we demolished for the old gas system." Jean explained. "Chris and I just set fire to it sometimes. Otherwise, we can turn it on, if we're lucky."

All three of them disappeared into the next room. I looked over to Phichit. We had to do the best we could, just like we used to.


	4. Leave It Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri's curiosity almost kills him when he finds something interesting within an old storage room.

Jean and Christophe led us around the abandoned library which they had fashioned into a home. Were they planning to stay here for as long as they could survive? It smelled of dust and metal. The smell of cooking meat also fled up my nostrils, a scent I hadn't recalled for a long time. It made me think of the delicious infamous pork cutlet that my parents used to cook for our customers. Although it was my favourite meal, it was incredibly fattening, and thus I could only eat it at the end of competitions. I clutched my backpack close to me. I couldn't bear to look at those bloodstained blades.

We were led up a small set of stairs to a shelter-looking room containing six beds. They donned unwashed mattresses and thin quilts, probably used by a family that lived there previously. They were left in a post-panic state, lined up against the wall in a disorderly fashion. The scent of fusty decay blanketed the room, as well as sweat, and an attempt at finding a better-smelling alternative. I assumed it was old cologne.

"There wasn't a lot left from the family that lived here," Jean explained. "We found them decaying in the streets. It looked like an old couple and their children, and their children's children, were living in the same fucked-up attic of a library."

His thick Canadian accent was smooth. Chris, however, had a Swiss lilt, which as just as unsettlingly familiar as Viktor's. I looked around the room once more, feeling Phichit step closer for comfort. A row of metal lockers lined the only empty wall. Two first-aid kits were placed above them, along with a sports jacket, and a pair of gloves. It wasn't that cold in Hasetsu - at night, the temperature dropped. But it wasn't likely that any of us were going to go out at night. Tonight, however, seemed to be an unexplainable exception.

"Do you get visitors?" I asked.

"In this area? Rarely," Christophe replied. "Only those who loot. Our rivals tend to come over to steal, but we manage to get our shit back."

"We're gonna go help V," Jean grinned. "Take a bed and don't complain."

Their heavy footsteps travelled down the rickety staircase as Phichit and I walked into the next room out of curiosity. It appeared to be a storage room. There were boxes placed in unkempt, separate piles, labelled with each of their names. Mould was starting to spread through the ceiling, infecting the far left corner of the room. 

"Yuri, look in that box over there. To the left, do you see it?" Phichit asked. "Doesn't it remind you of something?"

Cautiously, I approached the box Phichit mentioned. It was unlabelled, which probably made him suspicious. Inside was a few transparent pieces of fuchsia-coloured cloth, decorated meticulously with sequins. As I held it up, the white background had become an off-grey, and the golden tassels only gave us one more clue. My best friend kneeled down beside me, inspecting each and every inch of fabric he could find. We both had the same idea. And we didn't know whether to be scared or excited.

"Yuri, this -!"

_"Put that down!"_

We both froze, immediately dropping the beautiful fabric and turning swiftly around to become face-to-face with Viktor's stern, cold stare. The dirt had been washed away from his face, revealing a few cuts and bruises underneath, which appeared to have been dealt with. His jaw was flexed as if he was gritting his teeth out of spite. 

"Do not  _ever_ go through those boxes without my permission," he hissed. I looked up at him, before Phichit and I shared a look. We both knew who he was, and the impact he had on our lives.

"You're Viktor Nikiforov, aren't you?" I muttered. "You won five consecutive World Championships, five Grand-Prix finals -"

"Quiet," he warned. "I'm not - I don't think about that any more. It doesn't fucking matter."

"Of course it fucking matters!" I snapped, watching Phichit leave the room. "Before the Cupidity Complex, you were an idol! Does that not matter to you as a person any more?!"

"Yuri," he hissed, "I've just taken you in to prevent you from getting killed. Now shut the fuck up or I'll change my mind."

I glowered at him as he left. I had to follow; I took one last look at the box and closed the door behind me. Rethinking the past hurts for so many people, and I should have taken that into consideration. Viktor had turned so aggressive and spiteful within a few months, it was better to just leave him be. As we made our way down the stairs, a dog - which I assumed, was a poodle - followed Viktor. He still had his pet after all this time, and I felt worried for it. Viktor used to hold him so dearly to his heart. I wonder if he spoke to the dog the same way he spoke to humans.

"Just fucking eat," he growled. "I'm close to throwing you out."

Phichit, Jean and Christophe were already sitting in the makeshift living room, eating bowls of chicken and what looked like rice. As soon as I was passed a bowl, I quickly placed myself beside Phichit and didn't dare to question Viktor. He was petrifying, but right now, by stroking his dog with bountiful amounts of affection, I knew he had a soft side in there somewhere. I knew the apocalyptic society brought out the worst in everyone.

"Makkachin, sit," Viktor demanded, his mouth curving into the smallest of smiles. He threw him a piece of leftover chicken before eating his own meal.

"If we set out tomorrow, we could take the healthy chickens from the farm and make a pen," Jean began. "But it's right beside the other camp, should we risk it?"

"If you want eggs and meat, then a risk is a risk," Viktor replied. "There's two of them and five of us, and I think Yuri and Phichit will be fine carrying fucking chickens."

"I think you're forgetting the nest of Spitters around there," Christophe added. Phichit and I ate in silence. It was difficult due to the bandages, but we weren't complaining too much. We had cooked meat, a good source of protein, and there are people out there who are having their last meals. Although, if we weren't lucky, this would be our final meal.

After eating, we headed upstairs to go to bed. The three leaders ensured each window and door was securely fastened shut. It was quiet, especially when we were in someplace isolated, away from the disgusting-sounding zombies and the squealing of failing electricity wires. Viktor slept on the far left, then me, and to the right was Phichit. We had room to move around, but since the beds were an arms' width away from each other, I kept being disturbed by the dog lapping at my fingers.

For the first time, I managed to get more sleep than usual. And although it wasn't the comfiest bed in this forbidden planet, it was a better alternative to sleeping on the floor.


	5. Chicken Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chickens are a top priority.

A good night's sleep was all we needed, it seemed. Phichit greeted me with an apple for breakfast after I was the last one left sleeping in the room full of beds. The mattresses were springy, but I expected that. I wasn't hoping for luxury, especially not right now. My best friend sat on Viktor's bed and discussed the plan: how to retrieve the chickens from the disease-ridden farm without being mauled to death by the undead. We might collide with our alleged rivals, too - I was curious to see who they were, if we ever got the chance. We met plenty of groups trying to hunt around for food, generators, and clean water back at the hot springs. They were sometimes violent, but others just wanted help. Sometimes we'd help children bandage their grazes and clean their cuts. Otherwise, we'd be in hiding, securing our belongings altogether. The night when Jean and Christophe appeared was an exception. We were frozen in the supply cupboard and they had made their way in, much like an armed robbery.

However, they both took us in, and we met Viktor, whom I'm still yet to form an acquaintance with. Hopefully, through teamwork and survival skills, I can earn his trust. I was determined. With an appetising apple in my stomach and an understanding of what was yet to come today, I followed Phichit downstairs and met Jean and Christophe at the bottom, who supplied us with small pistols. 

"These will only be used if you're in trouble," Jean explained. "You told us you can sprint and do a good deal of jogging. If you both fuck up, we'll get noticed."

"You just have to follow us," Christophe grinned. "We're gonna follow V. He'll show you the way. I think your job is just a lookout."

A lookout? It wasn't the best position in the world, but to be part of a group to survive meant more than just nothing. Phichit and I nodded, before stuffing the pistols into the belt loops of our jeans and following them out of the base. It was better to see the rest of it in broad daylight. The library was situated on top of a sloped hill, which seemed easy to climb up and get down. Viktor stood at the edge, his hands shielding his eyes from the sun. He wore a coat with the Russian flag sewn in on the sleeve. It suited the lukewarm weather. It wasn't winter - or, at least I thought so; I had forgotten about time and what month we were in - so no fog had settled above the grassy ground. It suited our mission, to grab chickens to create a small pen.

"Good morning," Viktor folded his arms over his chest. "Ready? We're leaving now."

"I guess so," I shrugged, "Are they that far away from the farm?"

"Maybe about a bunch of yards or so? I don't know. They're always changing positions."

We began walking down the slope cautiously. There were no signs whatsoever of life, or death. I couldn't bear to face the same Spitter I saw outside of our base area. I clutched the pistol with a confident grip and strode forward, catching up with Jean and Christophe. I didn't dare to go in front of them, but left enough space for Phichit to join me. We were walking through a large field barred off by a wilted hedge. The grass was long, with nettles hidden beneath. At the far end of the field was a large grey house. Beside it was a barn, coated in flaky, faded red paint. Hay and straw were strewn over the concrete ground, and as we drew closer, the scent of dead animals and the sound of flies appeared almost immediately. There was also a faint groaning noise. Viktor looked around to investigate, until we heard a loud gunshot from inside the barn.

"Crawlers," he scoffed. "Nasty fucking things."

We located the chicken pen around the back of the house. There, we found a raccoon led decaying in the grass. It had been infected by spores and tiny mushrooms inhabited its forehead. I looked away; that was where the smell was coming from. 

Viktor studied the group of chickens carefully, before choosing three of them and handing one to Chris and Jean. Viktor held a rooster and closed the pen. I wondered if any other chickens were infected, too. The raccoon gave off such an unpleasant smell that I gagged, leaving Phichit looking concerned.

"Hold your nose," he smirked. "It's not that bad."

"Phichit, it is that bad."

"You're better off holding your nose," Viktor grinned. "You don't want to breathe in those spores, you'll end up like the raccoon, Yuri."

I scrunched my nose. "You're breathing in the spores."

He laughed. "Aren't we all? Look, we have to get back. This little shit is pecking at my hand."

We began walking back through the field. The Cupidity Complex seemed so peculiar when it appeared in animals. It used to be seen as rare, but since the media drove to extinction, there was no way of knowing if animals could infect humans, or we could develop a cure. So far, the world has only gotten worse. I didn't think any of us were expecting a turnaround anytime soon.

"Viktor, what do you know about the Cupidity Complex?" I asked.

"A lot," he laughed. "The other day, Jean, Chris and I located an old hospital and decided to read the files. We were just as curious as you were. It's rather creepy, actually. Chris, can you explain when we return?"

"Yeah," Chris grinned. "It's like a horror story."

 _"Spasibo,"_ Viktor laughed. It's like the whole situation wasn't bothering him at all. 

 


	6. Chickens and Treachery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri manages to understand the entirety of the Cupidity Complex, and meets a couple of enemies along the way.

We began to build the chicken pen as soon as we returned. The unsettling, vile groans of the creature led in the barn were replaying over and over in my head. Thankfully, Viktor had shot the disgusting thing; the raccoon decaying in the grass wasn't doing me justice either. I still remembered the putrid stench resonating from it. I hoped Phichit wouldn't end up like that. I hoped I wouldn't end up like that either. It seemed like something out of a horror/sci-fi movie, except in a reality. And it chilled me to the bone that the C-Complex could do such a thing.

"Are you still thinking about that raccoon, Yuri?" Viktor smirked, the graze on the side of his mouth raising. "You know, if these chickens die, we'll have to eat that."

"Stop scaring him, V," Chris chortled. "He looks so young. I doubt he'd rather eat the raccoon."

Jean was upstairs rifling through the supply cupboard, attempting to find the 'files' they had kept. Medical files were such a strange item to steal. I wondered why they needed to keep them, and why the hospital hadn't locked them away securely enough. Although, in a world of devastation, I wasn't surprised that they may have been left in the open, after a worldwide catastrophic event. It seemed as if everyone had to have some sort of file to diagnose diseases that doctors, who were probably dead, couldn't. It seemed logical.

"How old are you, Yuri?" Viktor asked, his eyebrow raised. I gulped.

"Twenty-four," I scratched the back of my neck and picked up some wire mesh. Christophe almost choked on air.

"What?!" he exclaimed. "I'm only a year older. You're not as young as I thought. You just have a baby face."

We kept going back to the bush at the side of the field to find scraps of anything - mesh, wooden planks, nails. It appeared that there was once a wooden shed where we rummaged, since there was an accurately-placed stone square implanted into the high grass. We carried them all the way back - it wasn't too much of a trek. It was nice to be able to go back and forth with confidence. I no longer felt bad about having the pistol with me at all times. 

I looked up towards the shelter in which we stayed. There were two men, one shorter than the other, in front of the chicken pen carrying our chickens. Were we being looted?!

Viktor ran forwards with Christophe trailing behind. Phichit and I stood still, clutching the supplies tightly. They approached the men with hate; I'm sure I saw the veins in Viktor's arms protruding the skin. I could almost see him boiling with rage.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" he hissed. "These are ours, we literally just found them in a fucking pen!"

"In  _our_ pen?" the blond yelled. His green eyes glowed with fury, his voice had a Russian lilt that was only half as thick as Viktor's. "That barn belongs to us, you little fucker."

"It's only a couple of chickens!" Phichit yelled. I covered my mouth and winced. He needed to keep his mouth shut. "I'm sure you have eggs if the pen means that much to you."

The blond turned around rapidly, glaring at my friend. "Who the fuck are you?! Are you one of Viktor's little pets?"

Phichit gulped. "I-I -"

"Give us our chickens," the taller man grinned. "We'll be grateful."

Instead of obeying, Viktor drove them away by snatching the pistol from Phichit's belt loop, and pointing his own at the blond. The duo backed away slowly. I hid further into the bush, while Christophe shoved the chickens back into out makeshift pen.

"Look," the blond sighed. "I know we hate each other with a passion but I don't think we need to die today, eh, Viktor?" 

The grin on his face was malicious. He didn't dare to resist. Viktor glared at them both, sweat running down his forehead. His ocean-blue eyes glinted in the noon sun and his hands shook, as if out of mercy.

"Have fun with your boytoys, Viktor," the blond grinned. "We all know you're fucking queer, don't you remember?"

The silver-haired, out of anger, shot at the feet of the duo before I could notice his eyes glazing over. They walked off, chortling out of spite, but empty-handed. Viktor stood there glaring at them before heading inside.

"That was Yuri and Otabek," he muttered. "We'll call him Yurio from now on. We can't get you two mixed up."

Phichit stifled a sniffle and beckoned me out of the bush.

"What was that?!" I hissed. "You're supposed to keep your mouth shut in situations like that, Phichit! You're going to be dead by sunrise!"

Phichit frowned. "I didn't mean to! I wanted to help!"

"You're not helping," I growled. "It's difficult in this world now and I don't want you being the reason I'm a fucking zombie."

We headed back inside silently, to where the library area was. Jean had set out a large file and scattered the papers across the table. We sat down as he read through them, each one stamped with alarming red ink, as well as gruesome pictures that were far less horrid than the sights I have seen in reality. Viktor was nowhere to be found. He was probably in the kitchen. Jean passed me a file.

**The Cupidity Complex**

_Information: the data enclosed within these files is exclusively private to Hasetsu Hospital. Please keep them in a safe place in room 2B - level 3. Thank you._

The Cupidity Complex (inf. the C-Complex) is both a physical and psychological disease brought upon by an unknown strain of bacteria. Although it hasn't began in Japan, it has been a large threat to this country specifically. It begins with the bacteria ingested through the respiratory system, where it reaches the bloodstream, and finally the brain. The victim develops a sense of overwhelming happiness which is incredibly unnoticeable, since humans rely on happiness for one of the main necessities in life.

The Cupidity Complex derives from the disease having the ability to pull the victim into a sense of passion, lust, and in the most extreme way, arousal. The victim, once infected, is forced to worship and 'love' the disease, which is incredibly dangerous and ~~can become lethal if untreated~~ **is lethal.**

~~Treatments include several antibiotics, therapy to prevent further psychological damage, or being sent to rehabilitation if the results are extreme. Some patients may be obliged to have an emergency appointment regarding genitalia if erections last over 24 hours. Patients should not have sex until the antibiotics have worked.~~ **There are no treatments.**

Symptoms include nausea, heightened and unsatisfied appetite, erections lasting over a day or more, heavy breathing, severe headaches/migraines, severe shivering, night sweats, and insomnia.  ~~Patients should contact their GP if symptoms continue.~~   **DO NOT ALLOW THE PATIENT OUT OF THE HOUSE.**

 **The Cupidity Complex is a major disease that cannot be treated.** It will trigger surges of dopamine that will leave the victim in a state of unsettling happiness and desire.

I was more terrified for myself, which was selfish of me. The aspect of being extremely happy for a deadly reason shook me; it was as if you weren't allowed to be happy just in case it was a false alarm.

Beneath the text were images of open wounds and infections outside of the body. There were bloody fingerprints upon the corner of the page, and just thinking about the pre-apocalyptic society made me remember things I wanted to forget. I left the file on the table for Phichit to read; I was angry at him. I decided to look for Viktor.

I checked the kitchen, but it was empty, apart from his jacket which was strewn across the table. I headed up the creaking stairs instead to reach the bedroom. I had guessed he was sat on his bed, clutching his cellphone in his hands, his arms shaking. His jaw clenched. His eyes were small, and concentrated on the screen intently.

"Viktor?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the brief unannounced hiatus, chapters should be brought out a little more regularly now.


	7. Talk About It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor isn't actually an asshole for once.

"Go away, Yuri," Viktor swallowed.

"You know, you don't have to hide emotion in this society any more," I said. "It's okay to be sad."

I walked over to sit beside him. He was replaying a video of his from his old skating career; reminiscing was probably the only thing he wanted to do. I knew he had a soft side in there somewhere. He seemed hard as nails. Perhaps he just needed someone to talk to? He never used to be like this in the past. After all, before the outbreak, I looked up to him. Now, he was intimidating, formidable, and unapproachable.

"Viktor, do you miss your career?" I asked. He shrugged, letting out a slight chuckle.

"Sometimes," he said. "It was something I could connect with. I hate reminiscing but I'd also hate to forget how much I loved the sport itself."

I averted my gaze to his phone screen. It was a photo of him and Christophe from one of the World Championships, with their teeth softly dug into shining medals. I remember that moment to the precise second - I sat beside Phichit, late at night, when they were celebrating Viktor's win for the umpteenth time. I wanted to ask him more about the past, but if this was an inverted situation, I don't think I'd be able to open up that easily.

"It's not even that wrong to be sad about the past, I guess," he chuckled solemnly. "You just have to bear a raw, rough face and prevent yourself from being walked over. I'm not intimidating, Yuri."

I grinned sheepishly. "I think you are."

Viktor sighed. "I know.

"It's hard imagining what life used to be like. I wanted to go home. I wanted to go back to Russia. But luckily I have my dog and Christophe and Jean, so home isn't that far away."

He tucked his cellphone into the worn duffel bag beside him. It was difficult to explain how Viktor made Phichit and I uncomfortable, but since he seemed slightly more sensitive right now, it was possible that I could get onto his good side. If it meant betraying Phichit for even just a little while, it was still possible. I had to do all I could to earn his trust, because after all, trust is important in this society.

The fact that he spoke about Jean and Chris as his family, or 'home', was heartfelt. It gave a sense of hope within my heart that he wasn't as careless and selfish as I had previously assumed. The cardboard boxes containing his belongings were still scattered over the bed, but I knew he wouldn't keep them out for much longer. Not after I had seen everything.

"Yurio called you queer," I murmured.

"I know." Viktor said, rather flatly. "I've been called worse. He's only 16 but he's also fallen in love with Otabek so I just thing it's bigotry."

He relaxed back against the wall. Upon further inspection, there was a deep scar that ran from his collarbone and further into his shirt. His face was riddled with cuts and stitches, which only meant that he was fearless. He almost had nothing to lose.

As for me, I didn't know what I was any more. I didn't have a lover, or a crush. Viktor was an idol to me but it was completely unbelievable that we shared a shelter together in the midst of a world disaster.

"If you're a fan I'm surprised you haven't tried to grope me," he laughed. I fumbled with my fingers.

"I don't think it's really a priority any more," I bit my lip. "It's nice seeing you. But in a world like this, I view you as any other person. You're just scary sometimes."

Viktor looked thoughtful, and turned his head to look at me. His turquoise eyes glinted; a small ray of hope.

"That's nice to hear." He replied. "I'm glad I can count on you to treat me like a normal person. Sometimes I hate being the leader, but Christophe and Jean are pussies, so I have to take charge."

Makkachin leaped onto the bed and curled up in a tight ball. He looked small and rather frail, but knowing Viktor had looked after him for such a long time made me believe he'd had a happy life.

"If you need help I can certainly be of assistance," I grinned. "Thank for you taking Phichit and I in."

"I wouldn't fucking thank me yet," he rolled his eyes. "I can still kick one of you out. Phichit is pissing me off right now."

I winced. "I can understand that."

"And don't think we're good friends just because I can talk to you," he sighed. "I know it's harsh but I don't want any new relationships right now. You could die tomorrow and I don't want to be overly attached to you. Grief will only pull me down. Makkachin doesn't have much time left and he's the only one I truly care about."

I hadn't thought about that. There were many horrible ways to die in this world now, and a lot of them are slow, painful, and incredibly excruciating. As much as I cared about Viktor, Jean, Phichit and Chris - I had to take care of myself. And in order to do that, I'd have to gain confidence to do things on my own. I could shoot a gun and cook. I could build. I could fend for myself. I could make use of rationed supplies.

_Rationed._

I sat up, startling Makkachin out of his sleep.

"You alright?" Viktor grinned.

"We need to go downtown," I turned to him swiftly. "You know the food bank and the other stalls that hold rations? There are bound to be more in vaults behind them."

"I doubt it," Viktor gasped. "But it's certainly worth a try! Fuck, Yuri, I feel like a fucking idiot, I didn't even think about trying that."

"If the chickens get stolen or infected or killed, we'll have those rations to back us up," I grinned. "We'll keep them locked safe."

Viktor's eyes turned soft, and his mouth relaxed into a relieved smile. He let out a breath of thankfulness. "We can make our way down tomorrow. But there are going to be a lot of Cupid's victims, you know."

"I understand that, but Viktor," I laughed, "We could have the best meal in months."

The idea lifted his spirits entirely.


	8. Rations and Races

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri discovers that the undead are much more gruesome up close on the way to the food bank.

We set off early, and if I had any perception of time it must have been around five in the morning. Jean and Christophe sat at the front, while Viktor sat in between Phichit and I. We ran over many animated corpses on the way to town, with hope of maybe finding some food rations left just months ago. We loaded the back of the truck with weapons and secured them down with buckles and wire so we couldn't be looted while we were exploring. 

As we drove deeper into town, Phichit sank further into his seat, and as I avoided the soulless eyes of the undead, I caught Viktor smirking at me. 

"What's so funny?" I frowned.

"You look like you're gonna cry," he grinned. "Don't worry, sunshine, it's all gonna be fine."

Jean and Chris laughed at Viktor's teasing. I couldn't help but sink further into my chair in embarrassment. We drove further down the road, staring at how rotting corpses littered the streets, and I noticed Phichit almost gag out of the corner of my eye. A mother and her child led motionless on the floor, pressed with tire tracks. Store windows were smashed and glass glittered on the bloodstained concrete. Zombies still meandered slowly, unblinking, and unaware that we were driving through. We were too fast for them. It was hard to envision what the town used to be like. Although the windows were closed, the stench of fermenting flesh was so strong it almost burned my nostrils. 

Nervousness threaded through my veins; it was as if someone had stabbed me with a dagger and kept twisting it. It grew and grew until it sat in the pit of my stomach like a gaping hole. I hope Viktor couldn't notice me shaking. The way he could handle weapons confidently gave me a sense of reassurance. But I couldn't be babied, even if we became better friends. It's hard to trust people in this society.

Jean hit the brakes in an area where we couldn't be found. It was round an alleyway, where the remnants of a once-homeless person led, the blanket still covering their unmoving corpse. We head out, Phichit, then Viktor and I. 

"If Phichit, Jean and I covered the left side of town," Christophe explained, "We can check the markets to see if they have any leftovers."

I froze. Phichit and I were to be separated, but after yesterday, I still felt bitter. He should be alright - he's dependable, independent, and works well with others.

"Alright," Viktor grinned. "Yuri and I will take the right. We'll head to the food bank. Call if it's an emergency."

Christophe turned on the walkie-talkie strapped to his jeans as Viktor and I walked side-by-side towards the right, past the motionless body. We kept silent and any conversation was made in a whisper. Although it seemed desolate, with the post-apocalyptic city, we had to keep sane. And if that meant cracking dirty jokes in order to pass the time, then jokes it should be. Hasetsu's food bank was located in the depths of another building, directly in the middle, with the ration vault even deeper. That meant we had to open a lock and get through the entire building without getting devoured.

"Do you miss home, Viktor?" I asked as we strolled through the streets, looking at shattered glass on the floor.

"'Course." He replied. "I'm sure my family missed me as much as I missed them. I doubt they're alive now, though."

"What about a lover?" I said. Viktor went silent for a moment. 

"I haven't had a lover in years," he chuckled, forlornly. "There's no point now. They or I could be dead by morning."

I looked up at him as we approached the building. "Even now? I think it could make you happier."

Viktor nodded. "But the happier I am, the sadder I'd be when I've lost them. Just through the entrance, here."

We walked through the destroyed and battered doorframe and began searching inside. Viktor activated a torch which minimised the darkness around us, but since I had no torch for myself, I had to be all ears. I stuck close to him to see better. The scent of bodies and sewage rose into my nostrils, making me nauseous. The floor was coated in a liquid, presumably sewage, and a mixture of blood. There was nothing moving around, but I couldn't exactly guarantee.

We trudged our way through the disgusting halls to reach the food bank - we had to go through the very large right wing. Since it was based on a shelter, there was likely to be many of the undead meandering around to satisfy their hunger. I became too confident in my strides and Viktor had to pull me back.

"Don't put your fucking foot down!" he hissed. I looked down to see a destructed body, that had exploded from gas buildup in the stomach. Acid and part of his liver had spilled onto the floor - I gagged and looked away. I was glad Viktor stopped me. His expression, even though it didn't last for a long time, seemed pitiful. His grip on me maintained as we walked down the corridor of the right wing slowly. I hoped there was at least something in the food bank; I really couldn't lose hope. We had to walk quietly due to the very few but dangerous zombie threats hanging around close to the walls. Their guttural groans sent shivers down my spine. Viktor and I tried to make as little noise as possible, by preventing our feet from making a sploshing sound in the remnants of their organs. I was close to vomiting. I hadn't ever witnessed something so awful.

At last, we found the food bank, which was simple to enter. All we needed was the vault key, which was a lock we had to pick. Viktor sighed.

"I have paperclips, that's all," he said. "Yuri, do you know how to pick a lock?"

"I'm afraid not," I said, trying to muster a few sentences. My stomach quivered at the faint clawing at the door.

Viktor picked up the walkie-talkie and took his stance at the lock, paperclips ready.

"Jean, how would I pick a lock with paperclips?"

"You should have two of them. Bend one in a ninety-degree angle for the wrench. Just pull the other out of place."

Viktor did so, as I stood against the door, feeling it rattle.

"Place the wrench paperclip inside of the lock and twist with a confirmed pressure, not too hard, not too soft. Then take the other paperclip and jiggle it around a little. You're raking the pins so they move."

As Viktor attempted to pick the lock, the clawing became erratic. Fear drilled through my heart as I tried to keep the door shut. He was taking his time.

"Viktor, you need to hurry," I said, my pulse racing.

"I am."

"Just apply pressure to each of the pins in there," Jean said. Then, Viktor turned off his walkie-talkie.

"Viktor, they're at the door!"

"I'm almost done!"

I could barely keep the door open; they were trying so hard to get in and we were about to become prey. I had enough - I snapped at the man I was afraid to yell at before.

" _Viktor Nikiforov, fucking hurry up you piece of shit!!"_

The door opened and he started shoving packets and cans into his duffel bag. I gave a short, brief moment to relieve my anger, watching him as we took the entire stock. 

"Go!" he yelled, "We need to leave!"

He pulled the door open, grabbed his pistol, and headshot the undead at close range. We made a break for it and sprinted down the right wing, past the scrambling zombies and avoided the one on the floor. My pace was slightly quicker than Viktor's, but each to their own - I had to get out of there fast. We had a horde chasing after us.

Upon running over internal organs, I slipped and fell face-first into a pool of cold human blood. I was going to die. I could stand up because of the slippery floor and I was about to vomit. Oh God. The smell. The fear. I couldn't run. I was going to die. Viktor ran off, completely unaware.

" _Viktor!_ " I yelled, choking on objects even I didn't want to know about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delays, I'm caught up in schoolwork and if it gets any worse I may have to put this story on hiatus until further notice.
> 
> Updates on this story will be on my Tumblr - @cherryskates!


	9. Putrid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri loses his breakfast and manages to make Viktor blush.

Until, I watched Viktor come running back. He scooped me up in his arms and ran as fast as he could towards the exit. I tried to keep my breakfast down as I shifted around in his arms in an awkward bridal-style position. I looked over his shoulder with sheer fear as we made our way towards the exit, and the brisk movements made me feel queasier. I couldn't see out of my glasses because the lenses were coated in blood. His heavy breathing beside my ear matched his racing heart; his expressionless face certainly didn't match his adrenal state. He wanted to get out of there as much as I did. He was fearing for his life. I began to think of Phichit's fate - I was confident he was okay. More okay than the situation I was just in.

He probably wasn't smelling of a corpse and covered head-to-toe in blood that had been spilled fuck knows long ago. I had it dripping down my face, cold - to think it had been in a living, thinking person only made me feel sicker. I was coated with it. I could taste the amount I accidentally swallowed in my fall on my tongue. Viktor's quick footsteps were splashing bodily fluids onto his pants and I tried my best to protect myself from them. I merely managed to bury my filthy face into his sweating neck. I felt secure. 

At last, we made it out alive. Viktor quickly placed me back on my feet before finding something to barricade the door with, and when we heard the groans from inside settle, we breathed a sigh of relief. He folded his arms, regained his breath and looked out onto the streets. I, however, was leaning against the wall, gagging with the putrid stench of blood that had been around for fuck knows how long. I murmured a small thanks as Viktor gave me a look of sympathy.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "Are you hurt, Yuri?"

I shook my head. "I might limp slightly, but other than that I'm fine."

"I'm glad."

I hunched over, clutching my stomach. "Viktor," I breathed. "I'm sorry, I'm going to vomit -"

I leaned against the wall of the building and managed to spew everything that I had eaten that day. I felt awful. Viktor turned away respectively and folded his arms.

"I wouldn't blame you," he said. "Those fuckers had me queasy for weeks."

My tongue was now tainted with the taste of old blood and vomit. My head pounded with lack of hydration and panic had subsided into mere lightheadedness. Viktor turned around, looked at my pale face and tired eyes, before placing a hand on my back and grinning.

"You're braver than I thought you were, Yuri," he laughed. "It's alright that you fell, I think if you managed to get back up in time they still wouldn't have caught you. Just be careful next time. I might not be there to save you."

I nodded, slowly walking back to the truck with him. "I feel like shit. I smell like it, too."

Viktor nodded. "I know. But I'll try my best to get the warm water going and you can have a shower, and I'll make an attempt at washing your clothes."

With an empty stomach and my shaking fingers cleaning my glasses, we found the truck in the same alleyway as before. Jean, Christophe and Phichit were stood overlooking the homeless person - presumably dead - and holding pistols in their grip. They looked at us with relief. Jean grinned.

"This guy started crawling up to us, so we shot him into his second death," he explained. "There's literally love notes to Cupid. Poor little shit had no idea he was about to die."

"Great," Viktor smirked. "Find anything useful?"

Christophe nodded. "In the left side of town we found a bakery and the oven works if you have matches."

Viktor opened his duffel bag and showed them the contents. Beans, rice, and other non-perishable food was packed to the brim. The three men high-fived, but despite all the celebration, I decided to keep quiet. I was shaking with excess adrenaline and shock. When we got into the truck, and placed the duffel bag on the floor, Jean turned to me while we backed out of the alleyway.

"You look like you've seen a ghost, Yuri," he said.

"You look like one." Christophe smirked. "All that blood, and you're making the truck smell like shit."

Just as I was about to speak, Viktor piped up instead.

"Yuri just had a difficult time trying to keep back and run from a horde of zombies," Viktor explained. "Plenty of the motherfuckers. He fell in zombie shit and threw up his breakfast so I'd go easy on him."

I watched Jean furrow his brow in the wingmirror. "Ouch, I'm glad you're okay, Yuri. I won't jinx it too much just in case you have week-long erections and lust for Viktor."

They laughed in the front seat while my cheeks flared. I wouldn't. Would I? I thought about how secure I felt in his grasp. No, no. I shouldn't.

I  _can't._

I was far more worried about scaring Phichit more than the entire group. I was sure I wasn't going to die - the disease can only live for so long within the blood. Hopefully it had been there for at least a week, before I was drenched in it from head to toe. The file said it entered through the respiratory system - but surely, the bacteria can't survive. Ugh, the smell. It was horrible. Meanwhile, Viktor looked down at me and grinned, his sly sapphire eyes glinting in the afternoon sun. I looked at the deep scar running through his collarbone.

"Y'know, if I was Yuri, I would," Viktor chortled. I felt the tips of my ears go red. Oh, god. This really wasn't the time nor place. Jean, Christophe and Phichit were doubling over with laughter while I sat staring at the window, engulfed in my own embarrassment.

"I'm kidding, Yuri," he laughed. "Don't worry. You won't die either."

I wanted to get mischievous. I could die tomorrow and have nothing to lose, or I could have some fun and try to forget about the society we lived in.

"If I died, I wouldn't mind lusting for that ass before I did," I grinned, winking playfully. I was to embarrassed to say anything else, but by the way Jean and Christophe were breathless with laughter, I had succeeded, and I was soon laughing too. We'd had enough drama for one day.

Viktor's cheeks were pinker than the fuchsia die that hung from the wingmirror.  He wasn't laughing, but I knew that he couldn't be angry with me. In the end, we arrived back with plentiful amounts of food and something to laugh about. We decided to light a campfire, keep our weapons close by, and took a chance to reminisce. 


	10. All that Glitters is not Gold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri showers, Phichit isn't as quiet, and hot water is a miracle.

It was close to ten at night, and our stomachs were full for the first time in months. We sat comfortably around a warm campfire sharing stories and telling jokes, mainly dirty ones, because we hadn't had a good laugh for a while. It was nice to sit back and relax for a couple of ours without having to fight for our lives. For once, we felt human - we didn't have to run anywhere, we didn't have to fear. We talked about childhood memories, crushes, our careers, and Viktor even let us explore his gentler side. Makkachin slept close to him; the bond between him and that dog was inseparable. I don't think he'd ever be able to recover if something happened to him.

"You won plenty of things," Chris grinned. "I envied you up there. I was inches away from that gold medal on the podium and you had to steal the limelight."

"It was the choice of the public," Viktor winked. "But it doesn't matter now. A gold medal is what it is. It doesn't have a value any more."

"Where are your medals now?" I asked. "Do you still have them?"

He turned to me and smiled. "Of course. There are still teeth marks in them. I still get that euphoric feeling of standing up there and feeling cameras everywhere on my body."

He sighed and hesitated for a moment. "Then again, that's probably why I like this sort of life a lot more."

I took a sip of the bottle of water given to me by Jean. "The zombie life?"

My clothes were covered in dried blood. I managed to clean my glasses with a cloth, but Christophe found a way to keep the hot water on for a while. It's the way they took showers - they had to do it scarcely because warm water was limited. It was possible, but it took quite some time. He adjusted the temperature half an hour ago. At least I could get clean for the first time in what seemed like weeks.

Viktor shrugged. "I've discovered a side of me I never knew existed. And I think I can say the same for Jean and Christophe."

While Jean and Christophe laughed, Phichit piped up too. He was quiet, which was helpful. He was making sure he could watch his own tongue. Fortunately.

"I don't think Yuri and I have ever trusted one another more," he said. I chuckled, taking another sip. I felt much better after today. All I needed was a good nights' rest.

After exchanging a few more stories and silly secrets which were hilarious, although insignificant, we decided to douse the fire, and leave nothing behind outside. This was Viktor's protocol, because his theory states that if it's human food, it could potentially turn into zombie food. That, and nothing should be left behind. He was the last one back in to make sure our weapons were inside the building. Phichit and Jean headed upstairs while Christophe investigated the water situation. I couldn't wait to feel a refreshing shower already. It felt like an infinity. Viktor locked the door.

"The shower should last fifteen minutes if that's alright with you," he said. "Make sure you scrub all that shit off. We don't want the bedroom smelling of the dead."

I smirked. "Doesn't it already?"

With a laugh, Viktor followed the other two upstairs. "You're not wrong, Yuri."

"Waters' done," Christophe called. "Towels are in the bathroom. Ration the soap, we need to find another store to raid because we're running out. Try and relax in there Yuri, it could be your last shower for a while."

I thanked Christophe and walked upstairs to the bathroom. It was situated to the right side of the bedroom, and it contained a shower with frosted glass, a sink, one cold faucet, a toilet that looked better than I thought it did, and a towel upon the broken radiator. A window overlooked the back of the house where there wasn't a single being in sight. Just a field with a few trees, and a road over in the distance. I could see the unlit, desolate town of Hasetsu. To the right was the hot springs. I'd come a long way.

I began to strip down, feeling the cold air against my skin. The hairs on the back of my neck raised to their full extent. The bitter cold made me feel more awake.

"I got you clothes."

I almost jumped out of my skin - I was only in underwear and Viktor stood behind me holding a set of clothes which were certainly not mine. He held them out expecting me to take them, so I did. I placed my glasses on the side of the sink.

"They're my clothes," he murmured. "Just don't get them covered in blood, alright? Enjoy your shower."

With a tired smile, I nodded, and he pulled the door shut for me. Viktor was a couple of inches taller than I was which explained why his grey sweater appeared significantly bigger. He had also given me a pair of black sweatpants which felt comfortable to the touch. They were covered in his scent, the same scent I discovered when he carried me out of the situation earlier today. It was strangely comforting, but if I was sleeping in that for the night, I looked forward to being warm.

I turned on the shower and was immediately greeted by droplets of warmth that cascaded around my shoulders and dripped off my filthy skin. I gasped in happiness at the feeling of a warm shower and relished the cleanliness I was about to encounter. I scrubbed off the disgusting layer of grime, washed my hair, kept the use of soap limited, and stepped out into the cold air feeling much better. Exhausted, I watched all the blood wash down the drain. Finally, I was myself again.

After briskly rubbing my hair dry with the towel, I changed into Viktor's clothes and opened the bathroom door to approach the bedroom. Everyone was in their beds, apart from Chris, who ensured that the shower had been turned off. Phichit slept soundly on the far side of the room, and I couldn't wait to curl up in bed to have a good night's sleep. I deserved it.

"Did you have a good shower?" he grinned. "You look like a totally different guy. Suits you."

"Thanks for sorting out the water, Chris," I smiled. "It's much appreciated. I didn't want the room smelling of zombie ass."

He chuckled wearily, running his fingers through his hair. "Thanks for the consideration."

Makkachin slept in a worn dog bed at the other side of the room. Chris tucked himself to bed, and I did too, treading my feet in places so the floor didn't creak. I took my place in my bed and curled up, completely overwhelmed by fatigue. Viktor's sleeping grimace was facing me, his dark lashes fluttering. I closed my eyes and eventually fell asleep.

* * *

 

I woke up in a cold sweat, bolted upright in bed. Nightmare were never common with me but the vivid image of being chased by the undead was terrifying to me. And it was real. It wasn't like I could go back to sleep and expect this entire scenario to be a big nightmare. It wasn't. I was living in one and there was no way to stop it. In the end, I gave into my fear and felt tears tremble down my cheeks. I folded the sleeves of Viktor's sweater over my knuckles and decided to find a place to calm down. It was very unlikely that I was going to fall asleep again. My chest was heaving and my heart was in my throat as I made my way around the upstairs area, trying to find a secluded space. In the end, I found an opening in the supply closet that led to a balcony. I shut the door behind me, rested my arms against the rail, and looked up at the cloudless sky, feeling the night wind against my cheek. I took deep breaths and wiped away my tears, from both my cheeks and my glasses. The moon was full and bright.

"Nightmare?"

I whipped my head around to see Viktor stood beside me. I nodded guiltily.

"I'm sorry if I woke you up," I whispered. "The events that happened just petrified me. It sounds like a real pussy thing to say, but -"

"Yuri," he said leaning against the rail and making sure I looked at him. "Do you think I'm not afraid?"

I nodded. Viktor scoffed.

"There isn't a day where I think I'm not doing to die," he explained, while I wiped another stream of tears away. "Yuri, every day feels like my last day on this godforsaken planet but I choose to live on."

"You're very brave," I hicupped.

"All the bravery comes from fear," he whispered, placing his index and middle finger on my forehead. "The fear comes from here. But the courage..."

He placed his hand on my chest. "Comes from in here. And if you need to use both of them, it's going to be hard. It's going to scare you. It'll take some time before you get used to the sights."

I nodded, sighing. "I guess so."

"Your plan worked, though. We were low on food stock and we never thought of heading that way," he grinned. "Thank you, Yuri. I owe you."

"It's no problem," I replied, feeling my eyelids droop. Viktor wiped a tear from my cheek.

"We should get back to bed. We need the energy every day just in case," he yawned. "Would you like a hug? Are you a hugging kind of guy? I'm never good with people crying in front of me."

I shrugged. "It would be nice."

Hesitantly, I was greeted with a comforting hold that Viktor gave rather warmly. He rubbed my back and took a long inhale when his nose buried in my hair for just a second. I noticed, but I didn't think he wanted me to.

"Night, Yuri," he said, and I followed him back into the bedroom. Taking a couple more deep breaths just to make sure, I tucked myself up in bed and closed my eyes. Viktor's ocean-blue eyes remained open, but after I fell asleep, I couldn't take notice any more.


	11. An Arm and a Leg

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor realises that there are some things that are more vital than just bottled water.

In the morning, we sat around a table located at the back of the library making a list of the supplies we had, and what we had to forage. Some were plentiful, ever since we returned home with packages from the food bank. Others, such as clean, bottled water were a must. Jean had only managed to get the shower working because the water supply we had contained the last couple of drops - which was sacrificed to cleaning blood off my body. What we needed was water, painkillers, first-aid, ammunition, and other necessities like soap. These were all items, apart from the ammunition, that we could take from stores around town. However, since it was likely that people took everything they could before they left, there was a chance that every single convenience store was bare, unfortunately.

"So, where are we going to go?" Jean asked, "We can't travel far in case we don't have enough fuel to get back home."

He paused, then wrote  _fuel_ under the previous item on the list. I knew where I could get one of those items, and it was bottled water. We just had to make our way to the Ice Castle to see if there were any vending machines that weren't smashed to pieces or looted by Phichit and I. All we had to do was locate the vending machines in the skate cupboard, the lockers, and the rink itself. It shouldn't be that hard, but the last time we saw the Ice Castle, Phichit was sprinting back to the hot springs for his life.

"I know where we can get water," I said. "Back at the hot springs, it was a running distance to the Ice Castle where there are vending machines full of bottles of something. They won't be ice-cold though because the electricity in our area switched off quite some time ago. Everyone's did, but the Ice Castle is quite dark if you don't have something to help you see."

Viktor nodded. "We have torches in the supply cupboard. We'll take weapons for obvious reasons -"

He was interrupted by shouting outside, and it was almost too human to be a zombie. Phichit stood up and looked out of the cracks in the barricaded window, before turning his head around quickly.

"They're back," he said, terror in his eyes. Viktor sprung to his feet and hurried outside, with us following. Yurio and Otabek hadn't stopped by in at least a week. What did they want, and were they thieving our chickens? The blond was stood inspecting our chicken pen as Otabek strolled around the front of the building. He gave us a stone-cold glare.

"What the fuck are you two doing?!" Viktor hissed, "We settled it. These are our chickens."

"We're just checking to see how they are, faggot," Yurio grinned. "We need to check on the wellbeing of  _our_ fucking chickens, after all."

"I can't believe you two are still fighting over chickens!" Phichit yelled, "Can you not find another farm? There are bound to be live chickens in the bushes around here somewhere. They must have ran off."

I gave Phichit a chance. He had a point. The way Yurio and Otabek glared at him like predators was making me worry, however.

"I'm just saying. There are more things to worry about in this society than a few chickens," he shook. "You could be fighting for your life right now but you choose to fight over chickens."

Yurio averted his eyes to Viktor. "Alright. But if you dare trespass our land again to steal our things, I'll make sure you never step anywhere else again."

"Understood," the silver-haired replied. "Don't come back either."

The blond looked back at Otabek, who shared the same shit-eating grin as he did. I started to despise both of them. Viktor worked hard to keep him and his friends alive, and he didn't need discourse from the other two. Rivalry was to be tolerated, but petty behaviour from them will only end in tears. Or worse, as Yurio had stated. I thought killing someone over chickens was ridiculous, but he didn't mention why he needed the chickens at all. Perhaps it was the same reason as ours? Nevertheless, we had more important things to be worrying about. 

"Come on, Yuri," Otabek winked. "We'll leave them to their chickens."

Yurio stood, running his fingers through tousled hair. It was more of a mottled blond. I didn't think he cared to take notice of his hygiene, even if it wasn't a main priority. He walked back with Otabek until they disappeared, or we could no longer care to look. Christophe secured the chicken pen for the last time, collected a single egg, and headed back inside. I approached Phichit.

"Look who's being brave," I grinned. "Thanks for standing up for all of us."

"I wanted to be useful for once," he smiled. "I'm trying my very best!"

I knew he was. Anything to be a fully functioning part of the group. His smile seemed to lift everyone's spirits when we were in need of a laugh. When we walked back inside, Jean grabbed the keys of the truck, Viktor picked up torches and a couple of pistols, and Christophe headed outside. Makkachin followed us excitedly.

"Viktor," I began, "Will Makkachin be coming with us?"

He looked up from the back of the truck at his dog bounding into the back seat. Then, he nodded, giving a nonchalant shrug.

"Sure, why not. He's always cooped up in the building and he rarely gets to come with us."

While Phichit got in the truck, both Jean and Christophe approached Viktor.

"I think it's best if we both stayed behind just in case they come back," Jean confirmed. "It'll be much safer. We can keep an eye on the chickens and ensure nothing else gets stolen."

The leader nodded, and took the keys from Jean's grip. He strapped our items down, kept a pistol and torch for himself, and took his place in the driver's seat. Makkachin sat beside Phichit, so I had to remain in the passengers seat. I felt unsettled about going back to the area my home used to be. It will never be the same again. Looking at the grimy windows of the algae-filled hot spring reminds me of disaster, and to go back there made me feel queasy. 

We began driving away from the library. I took a mental note that we might not even return.

"It might be a little dangerous if we took the front entrance," Phichit said. "The last time we tried to get bottled water, I had to sprint all the way home. It gets awful around here on a bad day."

I leaned my head against the cold window and watched decaying buildings fly past. Corpses were strewn over the road. Trees and bushes were overgrown and ivy had taken advantage of homes, shacks, and shelters. It was so unnervingly quiet, but since we had gotten used to it, silence was often golden. A dried pool of blood soaked into the dirt wasn't a problem. It was the person that left it there. We drove past the hot springs, which I chose not to look at. There were so many times I used to go back to my old dog's shrine and try to remember the times where I was truly happy. Now, happiness meant eating at least two meals a day and not getting covered in bodily fluids.

At last, after a quiet ride, we made it to the Ice Castle. A few of the undead were stumbling around here and there, but there were too few of them to be a threat. We headed to the back of the building, stopped the truck, gathered our supplies, and stepped inside. It still smelled like skate polish. I used to love coming here almost every day.

"Reminds me of my career," Viktor mumbled, turning on a torch. The only noise we could hear was Makkachin's panting. Phichit took his stance to the right of me. We were all scared, but in a dark place like this, anyone could be. Making as little noise as possible, we walked down the back corridors until we reached the skate supply room.

"In here," I said, opening the door we unlocked a while back. "Over there."

Viktor placed the torch in his mouth and I followed him, while Phichit guarded the door. He lifted the machine and inspected it, before taking a single bottle and sighing.

"How many did you two take? Did you consume them all?" he frowned. We nodded.

"We had to ration them, it was like everyone took them before they left," Phichit explained. "There's no doubt that there are more of them."

"We'll find some," I whispered. Viktor nodded.

Upon leaving the room, we were met by a single zombie dragging itself across the floor. With no eyes, and no legs, it didn't seem to be a large threat.

Viktor lifted his foot and slammed it down onto its head. Spinal, cerebrospinal, and bodily fluids flew into the air, and we had to leap back to prevent them from getting on us. Phichit exclaimed in disgust. Viktor laughed.

"I've always wanted to do that," he chuckled. "Crawlers haven't got anything they can fight with. He deserved to be put out of his misery."

The next place to go was the rink. The lockers were just before, but when we checked, a horde of the undead lay waiting for prey. We took the long way round instead, making sure Makkachin was beside us. He was Viktor's closest friend and family. I'd hate to think of anything happening to him. The sound of a dozen zombies echoed through the rink like an encore of horror. I kept close to Viktor and Phichit. It was the only way I could feel safe. I kept expecting someone, or some _thing_ to be around a dark corner, waiting to dig its teeth into us. The thought made me shiver.

Eventually, we approached the doors of the rink, and the vast half-melted sheet of ice before it. The glass border that surrounded the rink was shattered and covered in droplets of blood. Streaks of the stuff clung to the ice, contrasting against the blinding white. The doors to the lockers were rattling formidably. They weren't going to hold shut for long.

"Up there is the last vending machine," Phichit pointed. It stood at the top of the row of chairs. Viktor began climbing almost immediately, while Phichit and I guarded the door, feeling it bump and shake against us.

"You think we're finally going to live after all this?" Phichit asked. "I don't think this door can hold, Yuri. We need to get out of here."

"We need the necessities to live," I winced. "Viktor is trying his hardest. He's halfway up now. We can only hope that there are a few bottles left."

The groans from the inside were haunting. It was hard to block them out; they were everywhere. We tried our hardest to keep the door shut; we just didn't want it to open before Viktor returned. 

"Yuri," Phichit whispered. "Where's Makkachin?"

My body froze, before I left my stance by the door and began frantically searching for his dog. Oh, shit. Oh, fuck. This wasn't the time, nor the place. Viktor was already surrounded by a painful memory and he didn't need his best friend to go missing too. My heart was pounding with fear and anxiety and the overwhelming emotions gave me a headache. I looked in the chairs, on the slippery rink, everywhere - but Makkachin was nowhere to be found.

Viktor soon returned with a triumphant grin. He held nine bottles of water in his hand and shoved them into the bag, before furrowing his brow. "You look lost," he said.

As soon as he realised, his face turned white as a sheet. "Where the fuck did he go?!"

Scared for Makkachin's life, we sprinted down the dark corridor of the Ice Castle by means of a torch and ourselves. Viktor hurried quickly. I had never seen him so desperate before, and I'm sure he felt just as upset as we did. Maybe even more.

By the time he got to the locker room, and peered inside while Phichit and I caught our breath, his hand dropped from the door to his pistol, and began shooting everything and anything that moved. We couldn't hear anything. The building was blanketed in an eerie silence.

Viktor came out of the locker room with tears streaming down his cheeks. In his hands was a motionless Makkachin, riddled with bites, and missing a front leg. 

"I'm sorry," he whispered into chocolate-brown fur. He looked into the half-open eyes that were once glowing with happiness and life. "I'm so sorry."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	12. The Funeral

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makkachin is put to rest.

The funeral we had set up for his beloved poodle was elongated and emotional. We tried to include everything we possibly could in order for the pain to be a softer blow for Viktor. He couldn't contain emotion even if he tried; otherwise he was silent, his sad, ocean eyes looking like a motionless sea, staring at the ground. We were showered in rain that couldn't have come at a worse time. It was cold. Viktor was distraught. I don't think he'd ever be able to show emotion since I thought he was hard as nails, but this proved me wrong. He occasionally looked up at the unforgiving, granite sky, hoping that his dog travelled up there too. He wasn't in pain any more. Whatever he went through was awful, and Viktor knew that. He blamed himself and nobody else. Comforting him was very difficult, but often, it was me who would get a response from him.

Viktor didn't say a word. We buried Makkachin close to the front of the house, placing a few wild flowers to pay respects. The silver-haired patted the ground, taking a deep breath, and looking at us in thanks. We knew he couldn't say a word, and we didn't let him.

"It's difficult to find another dog," Christophe muttered. "Especially right now. But we're here for you, V."

"Thanks," Viktor tried to muster a smile, but to no avail. After that, he headed inside. It was getting late and the day we had was just as eventful as the last. I didn't think Viktor would sleep, however. Christophe shrugged.

"Viktor's never been like this before," he said."He's usually running around trying to do anything he can to survive. He'd laugh at anything with anyone."

"His dog was his best friend," Jean fumbled with his thumbs. "Either we have to support him in any way we can, or just leave him be."

I nodded, before following Phichit into the library. If I lost Phichit, where would I stand? Viktor is in a state of melancholy and is so forlorn he can't find the words to express himself. Maybe I'd be like him, too. I couldn't see myself without Phichit. Jean went into the kitchen and found something to eat. Christophe and Phichit assigned themselves to the weapons cupboard. I sighed. I was the only one left to deal with Viktor.

"Hello," I swallowed, sitting opposite him on my bed. He didn't lift his head.

"It's not your fault, Viktor," I whispered. He still didn't reply. I lifted myself and sat beside him instead. Suddenly, his head rested upon my shoulder, and tears dripped from his cheek onto my lap. I didn't know what else to do - so I brought him into a warm hug and let him vent out all the emotion he had bottled up inside. His fingers gripped the back of my shirt as he sobbed. My shoulder was damp with tears. Viktor really was torn.

"I'm sorry," he hiccuped, "I didn't mean to make your shoulder damp - I trust you more than the others, I-I'm just -"

"I understand," I grinned, overwhelmed by how much he had crumbled ever since his status of being a strong leader. "Just because you're in charge, it doesn't mean you can't have time-out from time to time. You need rest. You need to understand that it's okay to let it all out."

Viktor nodded. I used the sleeve of my shirt to wipe his tears. He gave me a soft, affectionate smile, and from then on, my heart was pounding against my chest.

"Take some time to grieve," I said, trying desperately to prevent the corners of my mouth reaching into a smile. His eyes turned softer; the ocean within them was calm.

"I needed that," he sighed. "Thank you, Yuri."

His head remained on my left shoulder for a while. I assumed he was thinking about his past, which I let him do so in silence. He cracked his knuckles, sighing in defeat. He fidgeted. He yawned. It was some time before he spoke again, but the silence was comforting. I leaned a little more into Viktor to take advantage of the situation. We were each other's comfort for the time being, and it felt nice. The room was empty and quiet which was perfect.

"Did you have a dog?" Viktor asked. I nodded.

It took some time before I could muster up the courage to speak about my dog. I had lost him too.

"He was a poodle just like yours," I began, feeling my chin tremble. "He was the absolute sweetest thing I had ever seen. But I got too caught up in my career and he passed away while I was gone."

All those times where I wasn't around for my dog, Vicchan, because I cared about my career more. The value of our companions shone more now that they're gone. They were never coming back. In the end, I was in tears. We were both in tears. We wrapped our arms around one another and sobbed our hearts out - it was impossible to silence ourselves. It was a time of healing, for Viktor even more. My head was buried into his neck as we were overwhelmed with emotion. It had been bottled up for such a long time. He held onto me tightly; it didn't seem as if he was going to let go for a while.

When we finally pulled ourselves apart, we wiped our tears with our sleeves and laughed sympathetically at one another. Our smiles were full of sadness, but they radiated with a small ray of hope. We had time to turn things around, even if we died tomorrow.

"Thank you," he whispered.

* * *

We finally went to sleep. After a day even worse than the last the pain still seared through our hearts because of Viktor's missing friend. I didn't think he slept for a while, because every time I opened my eyes, he was tossing and turning. He wasn't used to the absence of warmth upon his bed, or the dog tucked under his arms like a teddy bear, something to hug when he woke up from a nightmare or simply couldn't sleep. Viktor turned to face me, his tired blue eyes dull with sleeplessness. The corner of his mouth twitched into a small smile. His eyes slowly closed.

Before I could drift off myself, loud noises were heard from the outside, along with voices, and the shatter of ammunition against the concrete ground. 

"What the fuck?" Jean muttered, running his hand through his hair. I sat up too. Phichit followed, then Viktor, then Christophe. Startled, we got out of bed in the dead of night and hurried down the stairs, kicking our shoes on and running outside. Viktor hastily grabbed torches and a pistol just in case.

Jean opened the door, and immediately turned back round in fury.

"They've shot our chickens."

 


	13. Thunderbolts and Lightning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revenge goes wrong.

In the absolute dead of night engulfed by darkness and the putrid scent of bodily gases and wet tarmac, we searched for the offenders who owed us chickens. They were our backup sources of protein, something important we needed to survive. And now, we had no idea where to get chickens from. This was the bittersweet reality we had to scavenge for, and neither of us knew if it was worth it. We had to stay alive no matter what - and although it wasn't typically a very good quality of life, we still held on. Viktor knew that.

We all sprinted down the field at high speeds, our arms weighed down with weapons and torches. Our feet slid against the wet grass, our hair sodden with the pouring rain, nut our hearts were pounding with a fiery rage that screamed revenge. It was only now that I began to realise that this society was full of decisions, and most of them were fight or flight. For me, it had switched to fight - Viktor couldn't afford to lose anyone else any more. His, as well as our, lives depended on it.

The blinding beam of white coming from his torch detected two figures sprinting into the depths of the woods beyond the field. We tried to run faster, but suddenly, our feet got stuck in a warm, grotesque mess. Red covered our shoes, but we fled even faster once we discovered the creature was moving. Victor shot the thing in the head. Whatever it was, it was dead now - if it wasn't already.

"Just keep going," he huffed, "My stamina isn't what it used to be."

Eventually, we reached the beginning of the forest, where the blond and Otabek stood carrying pistols and wearing looks that could kill. Yurio's teeth were bared, seething with anger, with hisses occasionally escaping through his teeth.

" _Don't you dare!"_ he yelled, "I've fucking had it! If we can't have our chickens, nobody can have the chickens, alright? Leave us the fuck alone!"

Viktor's butterfly-blue eyes cast over like a storm. Phichit and I backed away, while Jean and Christophe held him by the arms. This was the complete opposite of good. For once, Phichit and I were terrified of our own lives, of Viktor, and what could happen if he was killed first. This was an awful day to begin with. Viktor certainly didn't need any more consequences, but by the way things were going, it was likely that an imminent threat was predictable.

"I fucking hate you," Viktor hissed, his stances becoming agitated as he writhed in his companions' grip. The veins upon his forehead and arms became visibly as his rage increased. If he didn't stop now, he'd lose his life.

Thunder bellowed through the concrete sky and cracks of lightning smite the ground. Heavy rain pounded against us, battering our clothes and skin, like tiny swords plummeting from the sky. His silver hair was sodden and clung to his face.

"Viktor!" I yelled, "Give it up!"

Yurio sneered. The leader whipped his head round and turned to me.

"You have to!" I shouted, my voice drowning in the violent storm. "We've lost so many, we don't need to lose another!"

The blond held the cold barrel of the pistol against my neck. I flinched in fear, but I had to convince Viktor that it wasn't worth it. His eyes widened, and, like a startled deer in headlights, he sprung forward to retrieve the gun.

"Keep convincing him," Yurio spat, "I'll leave you be."

"Viktor," I swallowed, unable to find the correct words to say. Phichit stood there with tears - hidden by the rain - streaming down his cheeks. It was unsafe to be in the woods when there was a storm. 

"Just leave it be," I muttered, "If not now, just think about your priorities, here!"

"Fuck you," Viktor whispered, to my surprise. "Do you think I haven't prioritised enough!?"

It was then when I began to shake. 

"I took you in. I fought for you. I've done fucking everything to get you assholes where you want to be!

"I've lost my fucking dog," he shouted, his voice becoming hoarse. "Don't you think I deserve to die too?"

Yurio and Otabek retreated back into the woods. I wiped the droplets of rain from my glasses, but it was to no avail. Viktor stood there, veins protruding his pale skin as he glared at me. My heart pounded, and I wanted to move, but it was like my feet were glued to the floor. He didn't deserve to die. And I'd thank him as soon as I could. 

The feud was finally over. All five of us walked back to the shelter, victims to the ungodly shower of rain that beat us down to the core. Viktor didn't say a word when we arrived, but I could tell he was angry. Jean, Christophe and Phichit went upstairs, but I had to calm our dispute before anything else.

"How  _fucking_ dare you," I hissed, throwing off my shirt and wringing the moisture out in the sink. "We were in the midst of getting our lives thrown away and you leave the blame on  _me?!_ What kind of leader are you?!"

"Oh, fuck off!" he yelled, pushing me away and into the wall behind me. "It's not like you've ever fucking said  _thanks_ or anything of the matter! I could've left you for dead, you useless piece of shit!"

He loomed over me as I trembled, sweat beading upon my chest as it heaved. I glared, gritting my teeth.

"I've fucking helped you  _grieve_!" I hissed, "I've made sure you were at least content before sleeping, didn't I?! Does that mean jack shit to you, Viktor? You're so fucking self centred -!"

His words drowned in mine as we yelled at one another until our throats were sore. He pressed me against the wall as our lips collided roughly, and I was so overwhelmed by anger that I let it happen. I gripped his hair. I tore at his ripped shirt. I took this kiss as violently as I could as my heart pounded in bittersweet joy.

As soon as we let go, I gave him a harsh slap across his cheek. "Don't speak to me like that ever again."

Viktor furrowed his brow, holding his left cheek as it grew red. His teeth gently bit his lip as he threw my sodden shirt back at me. 

"I apologise," he muttered, white flag waving. "Go to bed."


	14. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For once, it's a plan that could actually work, and nobody should be able to get hurt. Should.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fuckity fuck fuck, I apologise for the lack of chapters since I haven't published one for literal WEEKS. I've been busy with revision and studying and things like that so I hope I can get back on track. Thank you to those who've stayed, and to those who left, bye-bye. We'll miss you.

In the morning, I woke up somewhere I certainly didn't expect: Viktor's arms.

I writhed out of them in an instant just in case it was by mistake. Nobody else was in the room except for us. Viktor woke up quickly, looking sheepish, but overall incredibly guilty.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "You looked vulnerable and I wanted to sleep with you."

I narrowed my eyes at him. He was the same guy last night when he shoved me against the wall, called me a useless piece of shit, lashed out at me, and almost had me killed. How dare he have an excuse to even _look_ at me? I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed.

"Yuri," he murmured. "We kissed, don't you remember?"

Before I got up, I froze. We did, and irritatingly, I enjoyed it. But it wasn't something to prioritise because we had plenty of things to do. Viktor walked his fingers up my spine and chuckled heartily. I pouted. His chuckles ceased when I refused to turn around. How long had I been in his arms? Were the others suspicious? It felt awkward. I didn't know what to feel at this point; we had argued and yelled and I almost lost my life.

"How dare you," I murmured, pushing my glasses onto my nose.

Viktor raised an eyebrow and looped his legs around to sit next to me. "What?"

"How dare you?" I repeated, "What the fuck caused you to think that it was okay to sleep with me after all of that?"

My eyes narrowed angrily - I had never thought he'd do that.

"Especially after I almost fucking died!" I yelled, "You called me a useless piece of shit and now you're laughing about how we kissed?! You're so fucking problematic, Viktor."

"Ugh," he exclaimed, running his fingers through his hair. "Look, I really wasn't in a great state, Yuri, I'm sorry."

"You're _sorry_ _?"_ I hissed, "I fucking hate you."

Fuming, I chewed on my bottom lip until he gave a response.

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that," he uttered.

"Why would you think it's okay to get in bed with me in the first place?" I sighed. "I'm not your dog."

Viktor's eyes twinkled with tears. I didn't intend to hurt him, but in the same way, I did. Words couldn't express how angry I was at him. I didn't need any sort of discourse in a society like this, especially not from Viktor. And he said himself that he wasn't looking for a romantic relationship.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I truly am."

"Viktor," I sighed. "I can't say how mad I am at you right now."

"Then show me."

His eyebrows furrowed, sorrowful rage in his eyes. Tears streamed down his cheeks and his eyes grew bloodshot the more he held in his emotions. I wanted to slap him - I really did. But the state he was in wasn't a matter of violence. It was a matter of grieving; he had apologised and I had to abide. With another elongated sigh, I leaned over and wrapped my arms around him. We both didn't deserve this.

"Where are the others?" I asked, feeling his warm hands touch my back, palms flat. He was so delicate. He treated my skin like it was a petal from a flower.

"Scheming downstairs, I think," he said, wiping his tears. Eventually, he led back down, with my head upon his chest. We led there like that for a while in pure silence. It was comforting, in a way - Viktor wasn't so hostile any more ever since he lost Makkachin. We watched the tired sun spill golden light into the room, and for once, it felt normal. I looked at the scars and grazed along Viktor's arm, with the occasional bruise and bandage. He was able to tolerate a lot of pain, I learned. But the only pain he couldn't tolerate was from the loss of a loved one.

"It was nice to have you sleeping by me," he whispered. "It was nice to hear a heartbeat. The warmth was comforting. Can I stay like that every night?"

"You're pushing it," I muttered. "I'll see."

Viktor settled back into the mattress. His arm squeezed me tighter. It was obvious that he was taking advantage of the situation. I sighed for the third time.

"I'll let go if you want me to, Yuri," he murmured, his forlorn blue eyes gazing into mine. He seemed so low. However, since I wanted to make a change, I allowed him.

"No," I said. "Take in as much time as you need with me."

* * *

Viktor was so fucking difficult now that his dog had died.

He was a lot less independent and became reliant on me. He needed constant reassurance, and that everything was going to be alright. Other times, Viktor was certainly able to lead a whole fucking horde of rabid horses if he had to. It was strange to be in the presence of a vulnerable Viktor. But, I knew that in a few weeks or so, he'd be back on track. Hopefully. We needed supplies and we needed them _fast_.

We sat around the table in the main area of the rotting library. It still reeked of musk, dust, and old books that were preserved on awful-smelling wooden bookshelves for far too long. At least it was better than the smell of dead, which, from experience, was able to make me vomit. A small piece of paper was being scribbled on with a broken pencil, and Christophe, who seemed a lot more confident than Viktor, was leading the plan the entirety of the way through.

He pointed to a small building he had drawn (nothing impressive, just a rectangle) and described the scenario.

"Look, I know we need more weapons, ammo, a good diet, some beer," he began. We all scoffed, knowing a good drink is all we needed to forget about everything. Viktor smirked. "But if we made it all the way to Fukuoka, and caught some fish, surely if we preserved it we'd have enough for a couple of weeks."

"Fukuoka takes a long time to get there," Phichit groaned. "Yuri thinks it's a two hour drive."

I nodded. "Fukuoka might not be as pretty as it used to be, but the beach was rich in different kinds of sea life. I don't know, we can't get any fuel, and what if we don't return? It just seems like we go a long way for nothing."

Viktor huffed. He gazed intently at the makeshift map Chris scribbled down. We could almost hear cogs whirring away in his mind as he thought up plans and schemes for all of us to follow. However, if he made a plan, we all had to agree, even if it was outright stupid and dangerous.

"We go to extremes every day, Yuri," he laughed. "We almost got struck by lightning yesterday, you almost got killed, and we almost drowned in the storm. If we die tomorrow on a beach and we get buried there in cold sand, sure, that's our fault -"

He pounded his fist against the table, causing us all to jump out of our skins. "- but, hell, there better be a good reason for giving up supplies."

"It will be," Jean grinned. "I'm sure we have enough fuel to get there and back. Perhaps we'll find some gas stations along the way, assuming they're not bone-dry."

"And supermarkets," I pitched in. "Fukuoka is rich in many different stores. It seems impossible that they're all ransacked."

Viktor nodded, a devious grin spreading over his lips. "This sounds like a good plan. I'm liking this. Anything else?"

"Weapons, obviously," Phichit cocked a brow. "Spare food. Ammunition. Clothes, just in case we fall over, like Yuri did."

I rolled my eyes while being smothered in snickering and 'oh my fucking god that was funny.' It was so unpleasant.

Viktor seemed confident about this. Even more confident than the time we went to the food bank to retrieve supplies. And now, totally replenished, we're quite content for the next week or so. We needed fluids, necessities like razors, toilet paper, and if we're lucky, toothpaste and toothbrushes. While Jean made a note of how much fuel we had, Christophe calculated how long it'd take us in the truck, and Phichit gave other significant factors, such as the type of weather, how many zombies, rivals, and looters that'll be heading our way.

"I've got a good feeling about this," Viktor smoothed his fingers through unwashed hair. He still smelled fine. We had plentiful cans of deodorant left from looting previously. "We should bring our secure tent. We stole it from a store since it was for thing like mountain expeditions. It's heavy, so it's not likely to be pushed over by strong winds or zombies. And the strong material makes it biteproof."

I raised a brow. "Is that so? You seem delighted."

"I am," he grinned. "The only things stopping us are the others."

"Others?"

"Yeah," Viktor licked his lips. "You ever been spat on by a zombie before?"

Yuri shook his head.

"It burns."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't had any motivation over the past few weeks due to stress! Chapters should be rolling out anytime soon when I have the time (hopefully.) Comments provide me with as much motivation as possible, and allows further chapters to be made since I got such positive feedback to those who read previous chapters.
> 
> Feel free to reach out to me in the comments for suggestions or anything else that you want to happen! This is a gory story, make it gory! This story depends on my and your ideas, I hope I can place some influences in here too.
> 
> Thank you for reading this far! <3


	15. Time Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While all the commotion is happening, Yuri and Viktor take a little time off to take care of their wellbeing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully this should make a lot of you happier, many of you felt sympathy for Viktor, but don't worry!

We began loading the supplies into the truck at dusk. Viktor kept forgetting that Makkachin as no longer a companion, and was constantly stuck in a loop of hope, and then sadness. I had to pull him to the side a few times to guarantee that he was alright. He looked pale, or pal _er_ , which wasn't a good sign. I merely told him anything negative about his dog, but despite the reassurance, he was quiet. He'd just bark out orders now and again, ensuring everything was strapped down, locked, and weapons were hidden beneath the dashboard so nobody could thieve them.

"It's not the dog, Yuri," he whispered. "You're mad at me, aren't you?"

To be honest, I had completely forgotten about that situation. The yelling. I had slapped him. I had also almost died. He calling me a useless piece of shit.  _The kiss._ I didn't want to think about that particularly right now. Surely Viktor didn't mean it.

I looked into his sorrowful, puppy eyes. "I'm not mad at you at all. I'm more focused on the task right now, but if you want to be reassured, then I guarantee that I'm not mad at you at all. I was startled. It was a 'heat of the moment' kind of thing."

"I'm sorry I called you a useless piece of shit, by the way," he scoffed, a little forlornly. "I'd hate to use such a valuable asset to our group."

"Don't jinx it," I laughed, too, with a hint of sadness. We all knew it was inevitable, whether we liked it or not. I grew accustomed to staring death in the face, even if it meant it was going to be slow and painful. Sighing, I turned to Viktor with a pitiful smile.

"I hope this plan goes well for your sake," I said. "You deserve a little light in your life right now."

Viktor laughed. "I completely agree, Yuri - No, Chris, that goes in the trunk."

We watched Christophe carefully place a couple of fuel tanks into the back of the trunk, and then slam it shut. Our eyes followed him back into the house before we sat on the dry grass and observed the sunset.

"It's so weird," Viktor began. "I've never appreciated something so small as this. But I know that if I die today, I won't be able to see it ever again."

The golden tide of sunlight washed over one side of Viktor's face, the other half shaded from the obscurity of the truck. His ocean eyes glinted like treasures; rare, pure sapphire basking in the rays of the tired sun. The curves of his face stood out a lot more, perhaps due to lack of a proper diet, but the sunlight accentuated his jawline and cheekbones and it only made me think of my ultimate obsession when I was younger. Now, I realised I took even that for granted.

"It really is pretty," I replied. My vision was then averted to a small figure down the bottom of the field. "Oh, look, is that a dead guy?"

"Probably," Viktor said. "He won't make it here. It looks like he's going the other way."

"Aren't you gonna kill him?" I asked. He was being way too nonchalant. Viktor shrugged.

"Too far away," he said. "Besides, we'll be on the road before he walks over here. That is, if he survives."

"What spat on you, by the way?" I asked. "What were the other zombies?"

"I'll explain to you another time about the 'others'," he turned to me. "Spitters are just gross. They project harmless stomach fluid at you to stun you, but I think it only affects small children and animals. It just stinks. That, and probably other bodily fluids. You never know what someone is gonna throw at you after being shot by Cupid." 

We chortled. It felt like we were old friends.

* * *

Viktor didn't sleep at all, so we walked out into the yard again and looked at the sky. We took a stroll in the cold grass with only the moonlight to guide us. We walked to the right, further beyond the bush secluding the field. There, we discovered a small lake, with a river extending into the horizon. The pale silver moon glittered across the surface as Viktor and I got closer.

"I haven't ever noticed this," I said. Viktor shrugged.

"I kind of knew it was here, but I've never acknowledged it before."

It was dangerous to be out of night, but with air this fresh and clean, and the lack of the undead around, it was impossible not to give in to simple temptations and have a small swim. The water looked clean, but I let Viktor inspect it before dipping my feet in. It seemed like this was the only way to relieve stress, and to be honest, I was looking forward to it.

"Is it alright?" I asked, watching Viktor place a piece of litmus paper into the lake. What on earth was that for?

"I always keep this handy in a pocket somewhere," he explained, lifting the paper up to show a clean green colour. "Cupid is acidic. The lake should have showed up red, but lucky for us, it's clean."

"Can we -"

Before I could finish, Viktor threw off his shirt and pajama pants, and leaped into the water, beckoning me in. I followed suit, tearing off the equivalent. It was numbingly cold and sent electrified shivers through my entire body. I didn't know how Viktor could just jump straight in.

We both hurled bountiful amounts of water at one another, laughing in the moonlight. Our happiness sunk into the dark atmosphere and seemed to light it up a little bit. After all, I always needed to be awake to allow Viktor to vent. This time was no different. And we were having fun.

We swam around the lake, flicking water into one another's faces, ruffling hair, holding our breaths for as long as we could. Eventually, Viktor had splashed me hard, covering me in freezing water. With laughter bubbling in my throat, I scrambled out of the water and ran along the dewy grass, sodden with our silliness. He chortled, he became faster, but I was fastest. My stamina had finally caught up with me, and I jumped onto his back, only to be thrown into the cool water soon after.

After we both resurfaced, our lips almost blue with the cold but not having a care in the world, Viktor's smile was broadening from ear to ear. We shivered, our teeth chattered, but this was the most fun we'd had in a while.

"Thank you for coming outside to clear my mind," he whispered, delicately treating water. He was as fluent in elegance in the water as he was on the ice.

"It's okay," I grinned. "To be honest, I needed this too."

Viktor splashed me once more, before we sat on the rocky side of the lake, drying off before we went back inside. It felt good to clean all the grime off, even if it was just a little bit. We kicked our legs around in the numbing water. Our skin was pale; paler in the dust of the moon.

Tiny golden lights appeared just above the surface of the lake. The faint trickling of our legs in the water were soothing, ad gave relief to any aches or pains.

"They're fireflies," Viktor smiled, soft and tired. "They usually come out in the summer, but of course, since we have no record of time apart from a broken clock and a ripped calendar. These guys are good at setting a warm atmosphere."

Accompanied by the faint clicking of the chorus of a hundred crickets, the humming fireflies painted golden beads upon the water's surface. I let my eyes cast over Viktor, gazing at his gorgeous chest illuminated by the moon. Accompanied were a few deep scars, scratches, and even small bullet wounds.

"I've never seen those before," I whispered. Viktor looked down at his chest, as if he knew.

"Oh?" he chuckled, nervously. "These are all from fights, I guess. Claw marks from animals. The deepest is a bear when I was caught in the woods back there."

I looked at the three deep, white scars running through his sternum to his right ribcage. It looked incredibly painful; I couldn't even imagine the amount of pain he could have been in. I pitied him. I truly did.

"They're beautiful," I whispered, "they're like battle scars. And you've survived each one."

"It's a reminder," Viktor nodded, looking at the fireflies. "Not particularly a positive one. But just one that tells me not to give up."

"Is persistence all you think about?" I asked. It was a genuine question. Viktor shrugged, laughing in defeat. He really didn't know whether he was coming or going.

"I guess. But it's nice to have moments like this where you enjoy the little things. Do you have any bad scars?"

"I haven't been in enough trouble to get any bad injuries," I replied.

We were both visibly shivering, but it's not like we cared. I sighed, unconsciously resting my head upon Viktor's shoulder, which was speckled with water.

"I appreciate this," he said, sleepily following the fireflies with his eyes.

He paused. I nodded, smiling to myself. Maybe he could sleep a little more peacefully.

"I appreciate you."

That's nice.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day sounds like such a feat, but it was managed!
> 
> Do you think Viktor is likely to crumble under pressure? Or will take advantage of small things in order to survive?


	16. An Unexpected Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're finally on the road, after a good night's rest.

The next morning, I awoke in the same place, although with a damp pillow and Viktor's warm arms wrapped tightly around my waist. For once, I didn't try to break free. I let him take advantage of the situation, and not myself. His fluttering, silver lashes shone in the early morning sun. His small, pointed nose was buried in the crook of my arm and our legs were tangled beneath the sheets. It was quiet. And today was the day we were to set off to Fukuoka to try and find some supplies. It was difficult living like this, especially when Fukuoka wasn't the pretty, bustling city like it used to be.

Upon waking up, Viktor gave my waist a small squeeze, grunting with tiredness. His sapphire eyes opened slowly, greeting me with a smile that seemed to whisper 'good morning.' On the other bed beside me, Phichit's dark eyes opened slowly, and he turned over to stretch.

"Let's get going," Viktor mumbled, sitting up and reaching his arms above his head. The scent of pond water had sunk into my pillow. I felt refreshed and a lot more satisfied with life than I was a couple of days ago. The joints in Viktor's hands and arms popped, and the sound was incredibly pleasing. I cracked each of my knuckles, rolled my neck, and curled my back until I didn't ache any more. Viktor rolled his eyes.

"It's not a competition."

"It is now," I laughed, running my finger through my hair to try and separate the parting. I grabbed my glasses, put on some suitable clothing, and grabbed my rucksack full of supplies: water, a can of rice, a couple of plasters and a loaded pistol. Christophe and Jean emerged from the stairs with hand luggage, before beckoning us down and strolling to the truck.

Viktor lingered in the house for a little while, holding a black, paw-print blanket, riddled with brown dog fur. He rubbed the fabric between his fingers before gently holding it to his nose, sighing heavily.

"Bring it with you," I suggested. Viktor spun around in shock.

"You think I could?" he whispered. "Fuck, Yuri, I miss him."

His sad blue eyes pooled into a darker shade, before folding the beloved blanket and placing it into his rucksack. His hands shook as he stood. I cupped them within my own and stared up at him. This was a trip for the better, not for the worse. We're bound to have a positive influence - after all, good karma can only do so much for us, and it was yet to happen.

"We'll try and find some good alcohol, maybe," I grinned. "Fukuoka has a nice beach."

"That'd be pretty fun."

Viktor and I were the last ones to leave, so we shut and locked the door behind us. Each window was barricaded securely. No handles were visible - they had all been hacked off. No clear glass. No supplies lingering around the front to be thieved. We were set and ready to leave.

"All aboard!" Christophe chortled, before earning a slap from Jean.

"Shut the fuck up," he laughed, "Get in the truck, you shitstain."

I leaned my head against the cold window, watching the library trail behind us. I might not ever see that building again, let alone Viktor's old belongings, and the memories of my time in the onsen. It felt tough leaving home, even if I could come back. I just couldn't risk not seeing it ever again.

The journey ahead was long and boring. The lack of a signal meant the radio didn't work. However, Jean had kept the disk player intact, so we listened to some calm music on our two-hour journey. The road was desolate and dusty. Some of the undead were scattered here and there - some hit by cars in the past. Others crawled around idly. Beside me, Viktor was scrolling through old photographs on his cellphone. This rung a bell in my head: we could find a better generator for our power.

"I thought you didn't want to experience old memories," I muttered. "You said you didn't want to reminisce."

Viktor shrugged. "It's just nice to look back and see who I was."

"Are you sure you don't miss it?" I asked. Viktor hesitated, and looked deep in thought just for a moment.

"Yes," he grinned. "It's lovely to have a private life. I doubt any of the press are even alive right now, which makes me happy."

I laughed. It was a very cynical and dark thing to say, but of course, in this society, you could wish for anyone to be dead and there'd be a chance that they'd lose their life in one of the many ways offered. It's either being dead or alive. Or both.

"I know what you mean, V," Christophe piped up. "I couldn't have sex with someone without the paparazzi in my face all the fucking time."

The truck erupted into laughter. Suddenly the apocalypse seemed like it wasn't going to be so bad.

* * *

About three-quarters of the way into the journey, where Phichit was asleep and Viktor and I were beginning to doze off, we were greeted by a sudden horde of zombies. Immediately, we weren't so tired any more. We clung to our bags in panic,nclosed all the windows, and remained silent.

"Fuck," Jean whispered. "There are so many. What do we do?"

There were plenty of large zombies possessing quite a lot of mass. Others clung to the trucks with unbelievable grip. There were species that could eject bile-green fluid which was enough to poison the untouched soil.

"Just drive through," Viktor murmured. "Nobody. Make. A sound."

I wished for Phichit to stop whimpering, just this one time. My heart pounded against my chest in surging fear. Their pale, lifeless eyes reached into our deepest thoughts. Threatening. Formidable.

We had to get out of there.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your positive comments, it really lifts my spirits. Comments fuel me!
> 
> Hopefully I shall be able to roll out new chapters more often due to a couple of weeks off. Yay!


	17. Beachy Keen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After finally arriving in Fukuoka, the beach needs a good clean.

"We're fucking dead."

Christophe huffed in distress. We had to go as slow as possible to prevent the rouse of suspicion from the undead. Phichit's whimpers could be heard from a mile off - and they were extremely distracting. I was surprised Chris hadn't flipped out completely. The horde engulfed our car like a weak tide, they made no effort whatsoever to stop us. Probably due to the sturdiness of our vehicle - but Viktor was having none of it.

"We're not going to die," he snorted. "Chris, floor it."

"But - "

"I said  _floor it!"_ Viktor yelled, and suddenly, we were lurched forwards in our belts. The constriction almost made me hurl with the pressure against my stomach, but we all began to laugh as we sped off with the horde scrambling behind us. One zombie in particular regurgitated a yellow liquid, presumably what Viktor was talking about.

"Ew," he grimaced. "That's just stomach acid. It burns a little, but it's not dangerously corrosive."

"So it won't melt into our truck?" Phichit raised a brow. Viktor shook his head. 

"Definitely not," he scoffed. "Some of them are fucking disgusting."

"You learned the hard way," Jean grinned. "Didn't you?"

"Yeah," Viktor laughed, before murmuring, "asshole."

We continued down the desolated highway at a reasonable speed. Not too fast, we didn't want to run out of fuel. Not too slow either. We wanted to be there in an hour, not four. Viktor slumped back in his seat. The veins on his head were protruding; was he scared?

"Are you okay?" I asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Metaphorically, I have," he smirked. "But no, I am alright."

Every vehicle we passed was either upturned and/or abandoned. I remember driving down this same road when I was little, to take Vicchan to the beach. Those were simpler times, where you didn't have to suffer from being paranoid every time you turned the lights off. Or locking every single door in the house. Or keeping your friends sane, especially Viktor, who seemed like he needed it the most. I knew it was always hard to get something out of him, so I left him alone until I'm given the chance. I knew he wasn't hard as nails all the time. There were moments when he broke down. Otherwise, like today, he was looking at death in the face, and  _laughing_. That guy had some fucking guts.

In an hour, we found the entry sign riddled with graffiti. An old welcoming that didn't feel so welcoming any more. The city was run-down and looked way older than it was. None of the lights worked. The roads and pathways were bare, apart from being zombie territory. They rotted and lay in the humidity; the smell must have been awful if I wasn't in the truck.

We drove around slowly, observing our surroundings. It was a scene of total devastation. Bodies hung out of car windows, which were coated in blood from the passengers. Pools of the stuff had dried into the concrete, which meant the deaths were still fresh - this terrified me. We had to make it to the beach to set up our tents and pin them down before the sun set. We also had to kill off any of the dead - none of wanted to be turned into one of those.

"How sad," Viktor sighed. "This was such a wonderful place, once upon a time."

"Wasn't the world as a whole a wonderful place before it became a shitstorm?" I replied. Viktor scoffed.

"Indeed," he turned to me. "Let's do some zombie sightseeing."

"That's an awful idea," Phichit groaned. "You'll be dead by morning."

"Lighten up!" Viktor laughed. "Look, Fukuoka may not be the best place to be at this current moment," he paused. "It was a few months ago. But we can treat it like it's  _our_ town. Just for a couple of days."

I nodded. "Let's just pretend to be happy."

Viktor shrugged. "We don't have to pretend if we're truly having fun, Yuri."

"I guess so," I replied. We discovered the blue sea on the horizon, and drove toward it. "If we find some alcohol that might be interesting."

"I just hope we can find some decent things!" Phichit rolled his eyes. "Stop thinking about alcohol!"

"Phichit," I laughed. "You've had alcohol before. Don't act sly."

He simply slumped back into his chair and rolled his eyes.

"Will you get drunk with me if you find any booze?" Viktor whispers. "We can get Phichit drunk too."

"Hey!" Phichit groaned. We doubled over in fits of laughter.

* * *

Finally, we made it to the beach. It wasn't as bad as I expected - a few bodies were decaying on the shore so we shuffled them over to the far side with guns. One in particular came back to life, so Viktor did his favourite thing, and smashed the skull with a sickening  _snap_ with a hard stomp of his foot. With a triumphant smirk, he stepped back and we strolled further up the beach. Jean and Phichit held back to set up the tents.

Apart from being in the middle of a fucking apocalypse, the sun was wonderfully warm. We had our shirts tied around our waist as we strolled across the golden sand, watching the glittering waves roll in and retreat. Viktor was drenched in sweat - probably from chasing a Runner, which was just a quicker zombie - from head to toe. It was a good job we removed our shirts. I didn't want to swelter any longer.

"Sunscreen?" I asked. As if we could find it right now. Christophe gave us a short farewell before sprinting back.

"If we find any," Viktor laughed. "If you burn we brought some cold moisturiser. We use that for callouses on our hands after holding guns for too long."

I kicked up some sand as we walked, also unearthing a human skull.

"Oh, what the  _fuck?"_ I frowned. The flesh has already began to peel off under the sand. Through the sockets came a couple of crabs, which made my skin crawl.

"That's fucking gross," Viktor laughed, shooting it in the forehead twice just to make sure. He kicked sand back over it and buried it out of sight (and hopefully out of mind.) "You okay? You look so freaked out."

"Yeah," I rolled my eyes. "To be honest, it's to be expected."

Viktor nodded, still chuckling to himself.

When we had finally cleared the beach of disgusting messes, we sat with our shoes off and our weapons beside us. Our shirts were thrown to the sand as we leaned back and soaked in the setting sun, watching it sink below the dark sea. I watched Viktor's eyes glimmer, reflecting the speckled ocean; they were the exact same colour. Cool, refreshing water washed over our aching feet and clothed calves, but we didn't mind. I looked over to see if the tent had made progress - it had, and Phichit was now setting up a small fire.

"This is our second sunset in a row," Vitkor muttered. "Is this going to be a tradition?"

"I think it's something to do with dying, isn't it?" I grinned, a little forlornly. "It's too fucking deep to think like that."

Viktor rolled up his cargo pants, exposing his strong calves. "Then come mess with me again."

I rolled my eyes. "Really? They'll be expecting us soon."

Viktor was already running towards the waves, beckoning me closer, yelling, "you're a pussy, Yuri!"

Nope.

After hitching up my pants, I ran after him as he hurled water at me, one splash after another. We went under, explored the deep blue (salt water burns the eyes) and found a few sea creatures even I hadn't seen before. We resurfaced, ran around on the shore, chased each other like old friends would. Our laughter bubbled into the warm dusk as we headed back into the ocean, completely out of breath.

The sun was barely there. Stars began to appear in the purple-ombre sky. Viktor and I watched millions of galaxies appear before us, and it wasn't hard - the lack of humans meant no light pollution. Our hair was drenched and we had submerged ourselves from the waist-up. We brought extra clothes, of course.

"I hope I don't die too soon," Viktor whispers. "I'd miss this."

"The stars?" I whispered. "I'd miss them too."

He laughed, happiness making him glow. My hands found his waist and his cupped my cheeks. It felt good. This was right. Of course it was. Droplets of water still dripped from his silver lashes, matching his tranquil, blue eyes. 

Our lips met softly, the taste of saltwater lingering upon them. I didn't get to cherish his lips as much when he kissed me the first time, but it was in the heat of the moment. This time, I felt something. And for once, it wasn't failure.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happy with all of the positive feedback I'm receiving!! Comments are so motivational to me, I love communicating with you guys to see what you want.
> 
> Seriously. Have any suggestions? Comment!
> 
> Thank you for reading; big loves to you all. <33


	18. Everything's Free in the Apocalypse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Jean go a little insane when they realise that money has no value any more.

We didn't get a lot of sleep. A lot less than I anticipated, actually. The tent was uncomfortable and sleeping out in the open made me so paranoid - death was right around the corner but it was a good job we cleaned the beach up first. If we had any aspect of time, I'd say Phichit slept the most: around six hours. Viktor stirred. The morning also began in his arms again. I felt a lot happier, and I definitely knew why. The smile on his blushing lips as he slept was so heartwarming. I had ached for him to be happy.

"We made a breakfast, I guess," Phichit grinned. "Eat up, Yuri. You went to bed soaking wet, are you sure you haven't caught pneumonia?"

"I'm sure," I laughed, sitting around the warm fire. I had set out my wet clothes on the hot sand, waiting for Viktor to wake up.

"Where's Chris and Jean? The power duo?" I asked. "Are they around? Have they eaten?"

"They left early to locate a few stores," Phichit replied. "Chris has been here before so he's trying to find some shops that are guaranteed to have supplies. If not, he took a lock-picking set, just in case there's a vault or two he has to bust open."

"Smart," I smiled. "What's for breakfast, then?"

Phichit took the rusty cooking pot off the fire and lifted the lid. In there was something I hadn't seen in a while.

A fresh fish.

It had been in the pot for quite a while, simmering in seawater, I assumed. In there, Phichit had balanced the salt content with rice, and another seasoning. He'd probably found that from the supply of food in the food bank.

"Whoa," I laughed, "Are you a five-star zombie chef now?"

Phichit shrugged. "It was Jean's idea. We made makeshift spears using planks of wood and knives we had and started throwing them at the shallow water, aiming at random types of fish."

He found me a plastic fork and I took the first taste. It was gorgeously filling - I hadn't had a meal this good for months. I thanked Phichit with a smile, although it was hard with a mouthful of food. The fish was extremely appetising and I was impressed.

"Thanks, Phichit," I swallowed, digging into a well-earned breakfast. "To be honest, fishing was probably a priority -"

"What's cooking?" Viktor asked, emerging from the tent in just his underwear. I had never gotten so hot and bashful over the sight of him before - but after all, we did share a moment in the water. I whipped my head back to my breakfast. Fuck.

"Fish and rice," Phichit grinned. "Just a little something I concocted."

Viktor sat down beside me, shielding his eyes from the morning sun blaring onto our current position. "Remember to collapse the tents before we all leave, we don't need them stolen."

Phichit did what he was told. I passed Viktor the cooking pot and gave him a plastic fork, and we both tucked in to our nourishing breakfast.

"Not bad," he muttered between chews. "It was so hard to sleep. Did you sleep, Yuri?"

I shook my head. "Paranoia."

"I see what you mean."

I leaned over and whispered, "what the fuck are you doing in your underwear? It's scorching out here."

"Exactly," he winked. "Nice and warm. Bare feels nice in sun like this."

I rolled my eyes. "You're gonna get sunburn, Viktor. You're as pale as a fucking sheet."

"Then we can get tans later," he smirked. "You're not any different, fucktard."

I playfully hit him on the arm, earning a hit just as hard. We swallowed the last parts of our breakfast with small fits of laughter, before grabbing our drying clothes, shaking the sand off and pulling them on.

"Chris and Jean went to look for more shit," I said. Viktor nodded.

"I heard them leave the tent. They're so disruptive."

* * *

We stood in the middle of a shopping mall. It was surprisingly clean, but incredibly wondrous by how ivy had grown through the windows, and a tree's branch started to spiral around a stair banister. The stores were open and untouched. It looked like a photograph - there was nobody here at all except for us. Everything was on display but nothing had a value. It felt strange.

"We found a couple of noodle packets in the food court," Jean began, emptying his duffel bag. The definitive list of useful supplies coming out of the bag were:

  * three full packets of ramen noodles thieved from the food court.
  * six loaves of bread, again, thieved from the food court.
  * bountiful amounts of clothing such as sweaters, jackets, sweatpants, waterproof coats, cargo pants, t-shirts, pajamas and comfortable shoes.
  * three tuxedos.



"Tuxes?" Viktor asked.

"Why the fuck not?" Jean grinned. "Let's pretend, you said."

  * six eight-packs of bottled water.
  * three bottles of sunscreen.



Viktor smirked. I hit him in the leg.

  * expensive sunglasses.
  * three first aid kits.
  * blister plasters.
  * two corsets fit with a garterbelt, stockings, and lace underwear. One red, one black.



I raised a brow. "We're not women."

"Since when have you been interested in women?" Phichit asked.

Viktor actually snorted.

"Let's pretend," Jean laughed.

He placed everything back in the bag, and Christophe dumped his own bag on the floor, full to the brim.

"Now, these are just for our leisure," Chris laughed.

I held my breath. 

  * one large game of outdoor chess.
  * seven packets of two-pack pairs of socks.



"Socks is my favourite game," Phichit said.

It was my turn to snort.

  * two inflatable beach balls.
  * many different kinds of knives.
  * a stereo.
  * disks to go with said stereo, including S-Club 7.



"S-Club fucking 7," Viktor wheezed, doubling over with laughter. "Did you guys just fucking run everywhere and grab anything?"

  * matches and a lighter.
  * painkillers.
  * a lot of toilet paper.
  * toiletries such as razors, soap, towels, shaving gel, cream, and aloe vera.
  * many, many articles of underwear.
  * twenty packets of batteries.



"So," Jean beamed, "What do you think?"

"I'm sure we can always come back here later," I suggested. "There are probably a lot of stores you didn't notice."

"You guys went fucking ham," Viktor rolled his eyes. "Alright, but did you get anything for the ocean? This can't turn into a vacation."

"Why not?" I raised a brow. "We've cleared the beach. It's not like we're outnumbered."

Chris and Jean gave the leader wide eyes.

"Fine," Viktor huffed. "But at least try and find some suitable swimwear. Did you find any alcohol?"

"Nah, sorry."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gave me so much freedom. At least they can kick back and relax for a little while.


	19. Speed of the Undead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More drama! More action! More bloodshed!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm loving all of your positive comments and I adore speaking to my readers! If you have any suggestions, please let me know! I'd love to incorporate them to make my story even better.

"Is that all? Are we gonna look for more things or just keep everything we have? It'll weigh the truck down otherwise."

My pleas weren't enough for them to stop shoving needless garbage into the duffel bags. We strolled around the abandoned mall, amusing one another by trying on clothes, strutting around in underwear, and stuffing our faces with junk food and plentiful amounts of candy. Jean found a lingerie store and found the filthiest thing on sale before posing in a non-existent limelight. Needless to say, if something wasn't on show before, it was now. And I silently complained while Viktor doubled over with laughter, tears forming at his eyes.

"Come on, we've already got some outfits, alright?" he chortled, "we have a lot to look for. We haven't got any replacement tents just in case. Or gear for the night. This place should be full of things we need and don't need."

"What if you want it but don't need it?" Chris snickered. "There's a sex shop on the second floor -"

 _"Chris!"_ Jean pouted, in fuchsia underwear. "that was to be our secret!"

While my face turned pink, almost as bright as his underwear, I tried to make like a tree and leave. However, Viktor's inviting purrs behind me indicated that, since I was the innocence of the pack, I had some explaining to do.

"Yuuuri," Viktor purred, "why leave so suddenly? Don't you want to find it?"

"I-I," I stammered, "N-no?"

To be honest,  _yes_ , I did have the slightest sliver of juvenile curiosity flaring within me. I didn't want to find it - I merely just want to 'stumble' across it. Nothing drastic. We can't just go in and thieve sex toys. But then again, is it really thieving if they don't have a value any more?

Viktor's eyes scanned me from head to toe and I felt every gaze like a billion fingers casting over me. I shrugged.

"We have things to look for," I blushed, "let's prioritise those first."

The silver-haired laughed. "You're adorable when you're bashful, Yuri, Look at him, his ears are going pink."

"Aww," Chris cooed, "he's like a baby deer."

"I am  _not_ a baby deer!" I pouted, "I'm twenty-four!"

"Prove it," Viktor sneered, tracing the tip of his finger around the shell of my ear. I shivered, turning to him with a stern glare.

"I'll..." I hesitated, "I-I'll wear the corset!"

Even Phichit was surprised at that. He knew I was slightly feminine but to see me in a corset must be different. It was daring for me. I wasn't that confident. Anyway - they'd forget about it sooner or later. We had zombie business to discuss.

* * *

Apparently, there were more than we expected. A small pack of the undead were scrambling on the floor towards us, but they didn't seem like such a big deal.

Until, we realised, half of them were faster than we were. 

We snatched our bags from the ground and sprinted, as fast as we could, away from the Runners. Their muscular, decaying legs could still carry them faster than we could carry ourselves - so we bolted down the escalator, adrenaline threading through our veins as our hearts raced faster than our legs could. Their bulging eyes were haunting me deeply; I didn't dare look back, I was too focused on getting out of there.

"Into the elevator!" Viktor yelled, the tension making the blood in my ears rush. My legs burned with how quickly I was running and I suddenly felt grateful for the hearty breakfast Phichit made this morning. We dove into the elevator and closed the doors, holding them shut. We could pry them open when we needed to get out.

The low, hungry snarls of the Runners outside were menacing. We would have become lunch if out reflexes weren't as fast. Phichit, I noticed, wasn't as scared as the last time. Maybe he's become desensitised.

"Fuck, alright," Viktor panted, swallowing hard. "We need a plan and we need it fast. There's a chance that their arms are as strong as their legs are and we're in quite a cornered position right now."

"We have our weapons," I confirmed, bringing them out of the bag. I handed Viktor the pistols and he passed them around the group. A loud  _bang_ echoed through the elevator - they were hitting the heels of their palms against the doors. "If they're faster because of their legs, maybe we can shoot them in their calves to slow them down."

Another metallic bang. Viktor nodded. "Then we have to get the fuck out of here. We need to take them down."

"On the count of three," I murmured, snatching a meat cleaver from Jean's bag,

"One."

"Two."

"Three!"

We pried the elevator doors open and the blinding gunshots against rusting metal rang through my ears as I hacked at as many tendons as I could. They exclaimed in pain all through the while before collapsing on the floor. One by one, we ran out of the elevator, leaving them behind. My heart was in my throat. It pounded so much it hurt. I didn't want to be in another horrid situation again - although, this was scarier than last time. And it was the life we had to live.

"Yuri!!" Viktor yelled, "My leg!"

I turned to see him trapped between the doors, writhing as the dying arms of the Runners grasped at him. The doors began to swallow his ankle, which only made him shout in agony. I managed to pull him free, before struggling to get him up the broken escalator. Now, I was worried. Jean and Christophe found the nearest liquor cellar and filled their bags, leaving a very disappointed-looking Phichit standing in their wake.

"Don't worry," I panted, sweat pouring down my head. "You're going to be alright, V, you haven't broken it."

"It fucking hurts," he choked, "shit."

My grip on his wrist tightened. "You'll be okay."

My voice was trembling. I was about to sob my heart out and this definitely wasn't the time nor place. I just wanted to go back to the beach. Share the same moment as last night. I hated to see him hurt. Not like this. Fuck, not like this.

Eventually, I dragged him out of the mall, carrying both his bag and mine as we drove back to the beach at a high speed. The truck's fuel supply had already began to empty. 

We found our usual destination, shot a crawling zombie in the head, and sweltered in the sudden blistering heat.

Viktor ran towards the ocean, before collapsing to his knees as the waves washed over him, putting his head in his hands.

 _"Fuck you!"_ he screamed, into the wide, blue abyss. "Fuck you and your shitty disease!"

We did nothing but stand there, the breeze tousling our hair and blowing our clothes about. I shielded my eyes from the sun with my hand. Blood was soon seeping from Viktor's leg, but it was lucky not to drip into the sea. He came back, limping as he walked, and sat down for us to bandage him up. He seethed when we applied antiseptic, but after that, his face spoke revenge, and his intentions were violent.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've decided to take a vote:  
> Who wears the tuxes?  
> Who wears the corsets?
> 
> Thank you for reading this far!! <33
> 
> edit: zombie apocalypse viktor edit made by myself, check it out on my tumblr [here](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/pixelpearl)


	20. Shenanigans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some fun in the sun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters are likely to be released a little more regularly now. Huzzah!
> 
> I've taken the votes into consideration!

Before anything, we had to find a working gas station that had a little fuel left for us to use. It wasn't likely, but luckily, there was one near the beach we could use. Viktor stayed at the tent with Phichit as Christophe, Jean and I drove, rather slowly, to the station. When we got there, we tested every single pump and only a couple of them seemed to have fuel within them. Hence, we filled the tank to the brim - we didn't have to pay when nobody was around - and drove back to the beach.

Viktor still led there in the heat, sunglasses upon his forehead, shaving away his five o'clock shadow using a new razor and a pot of boiling seawater. This was great to get rid of any nasty bacteria - and to be honest, our leader looked as good as new with a cleanly-shaven jawline. We all couldn't wait to try out our new loot, apart from Viktor, who had already taken advantage of the medical supplies for his legs. I approached him and sat beside him on the hot sand.

"How's your ankle?" I asked. We figured it got trapped between the elevator and the strong grip of the Runners. Luckily, it wasn't infected - he hadn't been bitten and the saltwater managed to clean the wound before we did.

"It's doing alright," he grinned. "I think I can move it a lot better now. I can walk and run, but probably not for a long time. Just try and keep the undead at bay and maybe I'll heal a little faster."

"You're incredibly brave," Phichit beamed. "You must've gone through a lot to withstand that much pain."

Viktor winced. I knew about all of the scars running down his chest, the one right across his eye and lowering onto his right cheek. The bear claws. The acid burns. All of those were miniature victories. I bet the ankle situation felt like a papercut to him.

"Yeah," Viktor swallowed. "Quite a feat, heh."

Phichit ran off to greet Christophe and Jean with pots of noodles cooked over the fire. Even in the dusk, the weather was so hot, which was appreciated. But with no electricity, we couldn't have ice or fans, so we had to strip and lay there, covered in sunscreen.

We all sat around the gentle fire, facing the ocean's horizon. The sky turned gorgeous colours, such as orange, purple, pink, and red - all of them striking awe from us.

"When has a day ever been relaxing?" Phichit asked. "It's like every time we go outside we're facing death."

"I know what you mean," I answered. "But that's our harsh reality."

Very slowly, we began watching the sunset. Viktor fidgeted with his bandage, before turning to us and breaking the silence, by saying:

"How about we all go swimming? We can't just stay here and watch time go flying by. We have to do something."

And before we knew it, we had thrown on the swimwear we stole and ran to the refreshing, cool tide, having fun like the apocalypse had never, ever happened. Viktor's leg bothered him, but not as much as I thought it did. We threw the beachball at one another, climbed onto one another's backs, sprayed water everywhere, and played a very irresponsible game of 'how far can you go until you can't touch the floor?'

Viktor snatched the floating beach ball from the surface and pelted it across the sand, leaving all of us running after it, only to throw it back to Viktor in the sea.

"Wait, can I take a photo?" he asked, rather quietly. "The generator is the only thing keeping my phone alive, and although Instagram isn't a priority, I'd really love to have some memories just in case I die tomorrow."

So, we positioned ourselves behind Viktor, and I casually secured my arms around his waist. Our relationship was difficult - we hadn't had any physical touch all day. Although the kiss was bashful, and under the light of a thousand stars, I still craved him. And the others had no idea. I doubt they'd even accept it.

With big, genuine smiles, Viktor took a couple of pictures before throwing the ball onto the sand.

"Last one to the shore wears the corset!"

We all scrambled through the water, letting the tide carry us to the sand, frantically trying to prevent being last. I didn't mind at all, and I said I would for the laughs - but in the end, Chris looked at me in frustration.

"We're the last ones, aren't we?" he sighed.

"Mhm," I shrugged, laughing.

* * *

"A-and then Chris was like, shit, you're such a fucking pervert!" Viktor cackled, holding a plastic cup full of vodka and almost falling head-first into the sand. "I love you, Chris, you little cunt."

Christophe was already out of it - I was surprised his stomach wasn't sore from laughing so hard. "You skate like a fairy!"

"I am a fairy!"

"N-no, guys, you don't get it," I hiccuped, "I was such a fucking slob. I ate so much I couldn't skate, f-fffucking try me!"

And we'd even gotten Phichit drunk.

"Yuri was such a fucking mess," he giggled, "it was always, hey, Phich, get a l-load of this!"

Then, he let out the loudest burp I had ever heard, causing us all to clutch our stomachs and laugh the hardest we ever had. Why did alcohol make everything much better? Fuck, Viktor looked divine. Fuck.

"My band are probably fucking  _dead_ ," Jean pretended to wail. "King JJ my ass."

"A toast to the king!" Viktor drunkenly raised his cup upside-down and proceeded to watch it flow onto the sand. "черт возьми. Another!"

"Stop making me laugh, I'm gonna die," Chris wheezed. "Wait, waitwait, gimme a corset."

Jean threw him the red corset as Chris stripped to his underwear and pulled it on. Jean gave him a hand and tightened it at the back, before drunkenly patting him on the back and gulping down his last mouthful.

"I'm alone in this, I need a dance partner," Chris chortled, dropping to the floor in a provocative fashion, grinding rather blindly against Jean's back. He then proceeded to stand, twirl, and trip over his own feet before falling face-first into the sand.

"I'll be your -" hiccup, "dance partner, Chris! C'mere," I yelled, grabbing the black corset and strapping it on, garterbelt and all.

I pulled him out of the sand as we danced, quite riotously, across the shore. We turned on the stereo and wound our hips to the beat, caressing each other's faces in a drunken fashion, imitating Playboy models and giving shitty lapdances. It was all part of the fun.

"Yeah!" Viktor cheered, pretending to throw paper bills. "Take it off! Take it off!"

I peeled off the upper area of the corset. I never knew how much it constricted my breathing until I removed it.

"Nooo," Chris whined, "come back, Yuri!"

Phichit, well, he really couldn't stop laughing. I was very sure that he was going to throw up.

* * *

Darker still. Chris and I ran to the water and reenacted  _Jaws._ He managed to spill his drink twice.

"Fuck," he groaned, "gimme it back!"

And proceeded to drink seawater.

* * *

The stereo still went on. Viktor pulled me to one side and allowed the waves to wash over our feet as we reenacted  _Titanic_ , singing 'My Heart Will Go On' at the top of our lungs. Phichit had crawled inside his tent halfway and passed out. Jean and Chris sang along.

To make it even more dramatic, we managed to fall over each other's legs, crashing into wet sand before Viktor peppered my neck with kisses. 

Nice.

* * *

The stockings began to rip. Viktor was skinny dipping to win a bet for another drink.

I joined in.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You get drunk characters! And you get drunk characters!
> 
> I had so much fun writing this chapter.
> 
> (черт возьми: 'damn it.')


	21. [NSFW] Scandalous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor and Yuri run off during the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise. It's NSFW.

Viktor and I toppled over one another as the waves simmered over us like froth on the top of freshly-poured cold beer. The others had retreated to their tents as our lips collided - our tongues snaked around one another and danced, drunkenly twirling, dipping in and out. I caught the taste of Vodka in his mouth as I glided my tongue around his perfect teeth and gums. He tasted divine. Like glittering champagne. We were completely bare - this emphasised the warmth generating between us. I felt a bump against my thigh.

"Is that a gun, or are you just happy to see me?" I murmured, winking at him. He looked so hot.

He looked down, before laughing heartily. "It's a gun."

I smirked, my cheeks turning pink. I found the pistol drowning within the gentle waves and I threw it back to the newly-extinguished fire. However, the bump still remained.

"Another gun?" I whispered, cocking a brow.

"Maybe not this time."

"Wanna find that shop Chris and Jean were talking about?"

Viktor hesitated, laughing naughtily. He hiccuped between his giggles before getting up, snatching his clothes, and getting dressed. I did the same, but playfully slapped his gorgeous ass - I got a little yelp out of it, but it was so hard to resist.

We took the truck all the way up to the mall, loudly singing along to old tunes. Drink driving was illegal before the apocalypse happened, but we were fucking hammered, and not a single flaw was made. We took weapons but our reflexes weren't guaranteed. When we arrived, we locked the truck, and headed inside.

"There's bound to be a map," Viktor burped. "Here, Yuri."

He pointed to a raunchy-sounding store. Luckily it was located on the ground floor.

"Pffft," I chortled. "Wasn't the ground floor where we found those zombies?"

"We killed them"

"Oh yeah."

So, we walked hand-in-hand through the empty, dark mall. The only light source we had was a torch and the light of the moon. I was drawn to Viktor's scent all the way round, relishing in his warmth, wanting to push him against the wall and taste his champagne lips again. It was turning into an embarrassing craving.

Finally, after minimal walking, we arrived. Outside of it was bright pink. The model in the window was wearing stockings similar to the ones I was wearing. I was wearing stockings? Oh yeah. Chris.

Viktor had left my side and I felt vulnerable. I yearned for him even more. I was surrounded by sex toys and I wasn't surprised that my first instinct was to try them all. I picked up a ball gag before something began buzzing on my neck.

"Viktor!" I yelled, "You little shit! Don't do that!"

"Hah!" he laughed, "Giving you a little shock in your life."

"Asshole."

"I'm the asshole?" he murmured, cornering me beside the lingerie. "You left me behind in the elevator."

"And? Get fucked."

My snarkiness had gone too far. His hands were feeling around my stomach as he lifted my shirt, drunkenly kissing me hard, so each touch was sloppy, but incredibly wet. My breathing became ragged. The craving was too much. I had never needed someone this much before.

"I mean it," I murmured, quivering as he kissed my neck. He held my hands above my head to lift my shirt off, flicking his tongue against my nipple. 

" _You_ get fucked," Viktor laughed lowly. "Why the fuck do you smell so good? We haven't showered at all."

"Don't know," I shivered, his tongue creeping around the shell of my ear. " _Fuck_ ," I breathed.

Viktor picked up the ball gag and secured it in my mouth. I bit down on it, giving him a glare that yelled "I hate you."

"How cute," he murmured. "You're gorgeous."

I was so desperate, I kicked off my sweatpants and tugged at his, yearning for more. All I could do was plead with my eyes.

"You want me?" he grinned, stripping completely bare. "Bend over the counter, babe."

The pet name electrified the nerves in my spine. We were drunk. It was so wrong, but so, _so_ right. The sudden air reaching untouched skin was surprising, and made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Nonetheless, I did was I was told, and Viktor took advantage of our current situation: applying heated lube to his appealing length (that was pressed up against my leg not so long ago).

The next minute, we were screaming in delight as he pounded into me from behind. His girth was rather large, accompanying each thrust with a sting, but I relished in the bittersweet pleasure as I was rammed with him over and over. I moaned into the gag with my hearts content. I felt so full. And yet, I wanted more.

Viktor moved his hand off my waist for a second, before slapping my right cheek, making me bite down harder. He reached, removed the gag, and made me red again. The slaps kept going, each one better than the last. I couldn't wait to see the marks inflicted on me tomorrow. There were bruises on my neck I was yet to see.

His moans were like music, although drunk - they sounded like a broken symphony. He swore over and over in his mother tongue, hiccuping occasionally from the alcohol, which made me blush. Fuck. I was on cloud nine.

It was like I had forgotten the apocalypse happened. It was just Viktor and I in the world just for this moment and we were adoring it. I was so overwhelmed by pleasure that I was sure I was due to brink rather soon. If only the stupid fucking zombies didn't exist. Although, if they didn't, I'd never had met Viktor.

And he wouldn't be slamming me in the ass right now.

"Yuri," he panted, his breathing shallow. "I'm so close."

I was too. It wasn't long before he collapsed over me with an elongated moan, filling me up in squirts. My head spun with alcohol and pleasure as I came over and over, covering the old counter in pearly drops. Viktor pushed me against it, pressed his lips to mine, and kissed me as hard as he could.

His tongue then dipped to the softening, blushing tip of my cock, collecting what was still running down my shaft, and licking his satisfied lips. I tensed. I hadn't done anything like that for at least a year now. It felt so good to get release.

"Let's get back," Viktor panted, throwing on his clothes. "I feel more drunk than before."

When we finally reached the tents, we held one another close, drifting off into a drunken slumber. Our minds were still awake; I felt dizzy.

"I'm going to have such a bad hangover," he mumbled.

"Shut up, you're a mess."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day!
> 
> You all deserve some good drunk sex from Viktor and Yuri sinning in the middle of a mall.
> 
> A little thank you to all those who commented and left Kudos, I love you all, thank you! <333
> 
> Karma is a bitch, though.


	22. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew head back to the library, meeting an old friend on the way.

Finally, after searching for what seemed like ages, we had come across a weapon store that wasn't looted. It was locked, which enabled us to break in and smuggle the weapons and ammunition out of there. We picked up a couple of blades as well, just to make sure we had enough. There was no such thing as too many weapons.

We threw all our belongings back in the truck, strapping them down securely. We had enough fuel to take us back and Phichit caught enough fish to supply us for a couple of weeks, which was a good sign. He also found some ice cube bags we could throw in the mini freezer, just to keep things fresh. We thanked Phichit for all the good work. I knew I could count on my best friend - we had our ups and downs, but it brought us closer together.

In the truck on the way home after leaving the beach, Viktor had his hand on my thigh the entire time. He purred into my hair and traced the tip of his tongue around the outer shell of my ear, making me shiver. He was so close. Almost leaning on me - I didn't mind at all. He gave me a good time and I allowed him to be affectionate. Rain began to pitter-patter on the windows, and we were suddenly lucky to be inside. Phichit was fast asleep next to me, clinging onto my right arm for support. I was proud of him.

Meanwhile, Viktor was whispering unforgivable,  _filthy_ things in my ear and I couldn't help but listen. It wasn't like I had a choice anyway. After all, I felt happy - I didn't want anything to ruin my mood, let alone this rare bout of happiness that wasn't going to last long. I could only hope.

"I like the way your eyes dilute when you're thinking," Viktor whispered, "I like them even more when you need me."

The tips of my ears warmed up. It was a good job Phichit was asleep because he'd be blushing twice as much.

"You're so cute, Yuri," he grinned. "I could eat you up."

"That's what zombies do."

Viktor gently nibbled on my cheek. "Would a zombie do that?"

In small fits of giggles, I tried to swat him away to no avail. 

After a few minutes, we noticed a rather healthy-looking young woman on the side of the road, clutching her bag, visibly trembling. There wasn't any space in our truck, and Jean knew that, by the way he drove past her, but there was something very unsettling about her face.

The whites of her eyes had turned a pale pink, while her irises were bright fuchsia. She had a smile on her face that seemed to be fixed and unmoving. Her stare was lifeless and her veins protruded her skin. We all knew it wasn't long before she started to devour people like us. There was a large bite on her forearm. It looked like she'd been abandoned by her group - and as much as it was exciting to find people out there,  _alive,_ we had no idea where they were, and whether we should trust them.

"Jean, reverse back to her a second," Viktor spoke up.

"Are you fucking stupid?" Jean scoffed. He followed Viktor's command anyway.

We slowly reversed back to where the young woman was. Unsettlingly, we all knew who she was - even Phichit, who woke up just seconds ago, gasped in horror.

"Oh my goodness," he breathed, "that's Sara! Michele's sister!"

I nodded. "Shit, she looks awful."

Her dark skin had paled over time and it looked like she was getting worse. Her eyes flitted over to Jean before she lifted a skinny arm and waved, laughing as if nothing had ever happened. Rain had sodden her black hair - it appeared tousled. However, Sara and her brother were from Italy. What were they doing in Japan?

Jean rolled down the window, the cold rain splashing in.

"What're you doing here, Sara?" he asked, not expecting a particular answer. "Where's Michele?"

With a slight waver of her smile, she slowly gestured to a disembodied hand hanging out of her bag. Phichit almost wretched. It was crawling with maggots, and the bitten end was slowly decaying. The bone was splintered into tiny pieces, and the fingernails had dried blood embedded underneath them. The fingertips were yellow.

"Why are you in Japan?" Jean muttered, looking sick.

"Vacation," Sara grinned. "It hurts."

With one swift movement, she clutched Jean's shirt and pulled him closer, causing the entire truck to yell out at Sara. We didn't need Jean to be infected too.

"You have to stop it!" Sara yelled, "Don't let it have me!"

"She's learning to love it, her body is giving in." Viktor whispered. "Look."

Her grip was loosening, but her fingertips still trembled to hold on. Her smile tightened, while my chest did the same thing in fear.

"You can't leave me here!" she screamed, "I don't want to be Cupid's any more!"

All Jean could do was watch. Sara let go eventually, laughing to herself. They were small, disturbing cackles that arose from her receding lungs, causing them to be raspy.

"Just take it away," she whispered. "Please kill me."

Jean looked back at us. "Pistol," he whispered.

"Please," she repeated, beginning to wail. "Please kill me."

Viktor handed Jean his pistol. Christophe looked the other way. So did Phichit.

"Please!" Sara cried, "It's all it takes! Just one shot!  _Please -!"_

The pistol broke the eerie silence with a deafening  _bang,_ while Sara's skull split with a sickening snap. She had a sudden look of calm upon her face. I couldn't look. I didn't want to be like that. I didn't want to choose in that situation at all. The truck was still with baited breath as she sunk to her knees, whispering a small "thank you."

For the rest of the journey home, it was quiet. I hated the colour pink. I hated the disease.

Viktor clutched my hand for reassurance and I held it just as tight.

* * *

We finally arrived back at the library. However, most of the wood had been hacked off, and there was a familiar feeling to all of these unfortunate events: it was disturbing. There were bodies draped across the yard, dead, fly-infested chickens lay on the grass, blood splatters covered the front door and the metal library plaque. We knew who did it, of course - but it appeared that they made their getaway before we could lay our hands on them.

The weather had drastically changed here, much different than Fukuoka. It was raining hard, with loud thunderclaps echoing through the desolate town and lightning strikes blitzing the sodden ground out of spite. It didn't feel safe to be outside but we knew we had a mission: to find Otabek and Yuri, and settle this feud once and for all.

We got out of the truck and stared at our vandalised shelter. Viktor sighed and held his head. He'd been here before us, and developed this old library into a home. Now, after being partially destroyed, he knew he had to build it back up again. Anger seemed to make him glow. Fury threaded through his veins like lead. He seethed when he looked back at us. All that work down the drain. We all stepped back just in case he wanted to hit someone.

"For fucks sake," he mumbled. "I fucking hate them. We're going to find them. Chris, get all the weapons we have."

"But V -"

"I said get the fucking _everything_ ," Viktor hissed. "One of them is going to end up dead. Two if we're lucky. We're not losing any men because we have valuable assets, you hear me? Get the fuck back inside and gather everything you can."

Shivering in the freezing cold (and the rain didn't help either), we traipsed into the library.

"Not you, Yuri. Come here."

I stopped in my tracks and went back to Viktor. I was then invited into his arms for a close hug, which I greatly appreciated. He held me close while I nestled my cold, wet nose into his neck. His strong hands rubbed my back and I gripped his shirt for support. I was engulfed, quite happily, in his scent. I felt warm. The rain was no match for us.

"Be safe," he whispered.

"I will," I replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's ironic how I'll say 'more chapters! more regular! yes!' and not post for a week. I'm so sorry!
> 
> Please keep commenting though, I appreciate your ideas and feedback!
> 
> If I reach 200 Kudos/3k hits, I'll take a chapter idea and implement it as a bonus chapter (that won't be canon to the story). Send me your ideas in the comments!
> 
> Thank you for reading this far, ily guys <33


	23. An Eye for an Eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stay off our turf.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day to make up for the lack.

I don't know what drove us to walk all the way to their base, but I think the main assets were fear and adrenaline. Pure fear. Nothing like seeing a dead person sprawled out in the streets. We could lose our lives today. Even more frightening - I could end up alone, or anyone else in our group could. We walked to the old farm where our enemies awaited us, unexpectedly, we'd hoped. We carried our weapons with false confidence and Viktor took the leader of the pack role seriously. He motivated us. He made sure we were all ready - and even if we weren't, he'd accept it. He told us that he wasn't ready either.

The mud had stuck to our boots and covered our cargo pants. It was a good job we took those waterproof coats from the mall - they were useful in times like this. However, it didn't stop the rain from seeping down the neck hole and any other rips it had. We shivered in close defeat, but we had to confront our offenders. We had had enough.

I looked over to my best friend and gave him a reassuring nod. He looked at me with a smile that said 'we can do it.' We stuck together like brothers. It was a good job we reconciled when given the chance - to fight alongside Phichit wasn't something I saw myself doing in the past. But now it's become a reality, and it's even more real than I imagined - this society was unpredictable in more ways than one and as much as we didn't want to fight, we had to.

We reached the old farm in a few minutes. The stables were ridden with insects. Horses were on the floor, still. Sickly off-white bone protruded their fur in their legs, and one in particular had its flesh eaten away. The skull lay in a pool of brown, dried blood that seeped into the floor of the stables. We heard a small whinny coming from the other side. In the stables on the right stood four horses unknowingly grazing on scarce supplies of hay. Otabek and Yuri could have kept them for transport - or eating.

It wasn't long before we saw them taking in wet clothes from a makeshift drying rack. Viktor approached them in fury.

"What the fuck did you two do to our shelter?!" he yelled over the hissing rain, "We didn't touch yours - I thought we had settled the chicken feud, you bastards."

Jean joined him, shouting over the storm. "Undo everything you've done and let us live!"

"Why should we let you live!?" the blond yelled in reply, "All you've done is thieve things we've needed and kept the loot to yourselves! You've never had us in mind! That partnersip we had at the start of this fucking apocalypse is no more!"

Viktor was fuming. Another lightning strike lit up his silhouette in his wake as he proceeded to warn our offenders. "Stay off our fucking turf! You were a disgrace to your family, don't be a disgrace to Otabek too!"

"He isn't a disgrace," Otabek grimaced. "He's done more than you shitheads have. Go home or eat shit!"

"Do you not realise?!" Viktor screamed, "That everything we ever had is in our shelter! It's not a home, it's a temporary shack filled with memories and jack shit of a supply of food because we are just like  _fucking_ you! We need to survive!"

Yuri emerged from the house holding two pistols, and gave one to Otabek.

"You have on the count of ten to get the fuck off our property," Yuri warned, "for the sake of your disgusting pig-shit-eating career."

"One."

"Two."

"Ten!" Viktor cried, opening fire on both the animals Yuri had kept, and the duo themselves. We hid behind hay bales, frantically dodging bullets and reloading our weapons as we took everything they gave. It was horrible. I was on the brink of breaking. I just wanted to go back and fix what they had done. We fired at them both while attempting to save our fucking skins at the same time. It was so difficult - much more difficult than I imagined.

"Jean, Christophe, go in from behind!" Viktor yelled over frantic gunshots. They did as they were told - quickly, too. They went around the house together, guarding each other's backs.

Us three sat behind stacked hay bales, reloading everything we had, breathing faster than our lungs could take. I watched Phichit struggle, so I took his pistol and inserted more bullets. My heart pounded. I didn't want to fight, it was a situation where I had to - but something finally came over me as I used up my final few bullets. I couldn't let them kill us. They couldn't kill anyone. They're dangerous with any form of weapon.

And once I took my stance, I realised I had shot Otabek twice: once in the arm, and once in the stomach. Knowing there are no doctors around, it wasn't likely that he'd make a speedy recovery, let alone recover at all. All gunshots ceased as Yuri raced over to Otabek to assist him.

"Beka!" he cried, taking the wounded man in his arms as he fell to the floor. Rain dripped down his face as he struggled to keep his eyes open. God, it hurt to shoot something, or some _one_ , but something inside of me suddenly vanished. I wasn't so afraid. We stood up, ready to reconcile. Jean and Christophe returned once they noticed the eerie silence.

"Beka," Yuri choked, "Stay with me, Beka. Please."

Yuri Plisetsky was hopeless on his own. We couldn't tell if he was crying, or it was just the rain. Another thunderclap echoed through the farm. The horses shuffled in their stables.

"Otabek!" Yuri stroked Otabek's stubbled cheeks with his thumb as his eyes closed. His arms frantically tried to grab Yuri as his breathing ceased. It felt awful to watch this, but all we could do was stare.

Suddenly, he stopped struggling. Yuri sat on the soaked grass and shivered in discontent. We daren't go near him.

In an attempt to reconcile, Phichit walked forward and barely spoke his name, before I yelled at him to step back.

"Phichit, no!" I yelled, "He's -"

Yuri snapped his neck around and fired his final few shots into Phichit's chest, his eyes bloodshot from dehydration (and crying, perhaps). It was Yuri's chance to avenge Otabek.

 _"Phichit!"_ I screamed, running towards my best friend, who crumbled to his knees in defeat. But by how the storm was getting violently worse, and Yuri was still clutching his gun with shaking hands, Viktor grabbed my arms and pulled me back. It all seemed to happen in slow motion. This couldn't be happening. My vision was getting blurry. I couldn't see. I couldn't breathe. I shouted his name over and over, but he couldn't hear me. Why couldn't he hear me?!

"Let's get back!" I heard Viktor yell. "We need to get out of here!"

Then, it all went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear. Please don't hate me.
> 
> I'm still taking suggestions for the bonus! 
> 
> EDIT: oh my gosh, this fic has been put on the [Reddit YOI Recommended List!](https://www.reddit.com/r/YOI/comments/63xt1c/fanfic_rec_week_7/)  
> Thank you all so much,,,, I didn't expect this fic to gain as much popularity as it has!


	24. It's Okay to Cry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri finds comfort and realises that his pals do really care.

The bedroom was quiet. My head pounded and I felt so sick. There was a chilled glass of water placed on a couple of stacked boxes beside me. Viktor was led on his bed. It was connected to mine. The bed on the other side was empty.

"Phichit," I choked, suddenly remembering what happened. Oh no. Oh god.

Viktor looked like he had just woken up as he snaked his arms around my waist and pulled me into him. All I could to was stay silent. I didn't know what to say. Phichit was dead. My one true best friend. I couldn't replace him. There was no way of bringing him back. I felt numb. Cold. I felt sick.

"Viktor," I muttered, bolting upright in bed, sweat pouring down my forehead. "Phichit is gone!"

"Yuri -!"

"He's gone!" I choked, hiccuping on my own speech, breathing irregularly, clutching the sheets with the last bout of strength I had. It was all my fault. I hadn't protected him. He was my best friend and I didn't do shit to protect him!

Angry tears flooded down my face and my breathing became rapid and erratic, my heart developed palpitations and Jean and Chris had to rush into the room to calm me down. All I could do was cry. It made me dehydrated and gave me a headache, but it didn't stop me. I didn't stop crying for a while. Phichit. Oh god, Phichit. My heart ached.

Viktor rubbed my back, yelling at me to breathe in and out, but his voice had drowned within my loud, guilty thoughts. I cried until my throat hurt and my voice was raspy. He was about to cry, too. Jean had a bandage around his arm. They all sat on my bed with panicked expressions, yearning for me to stay calm. I grabbed Viktor and he pulled me in, my face resting against his chest as my crying ceased.

"He's gone!" I cried, "It's all my fa-fault! I should have protected him! He was my best friend!"

"It's not your fault," Christophe patted my shoulder. "Jean almost died and it was my fault too. Phichit was only trying to help, Yuri."

I bit my lip and sobbed silently into Viktor's grey sweater. I'd known him for such a long time. I depended on him to keep me alive after these past months and I couldn't do the same thing for him. I was such a disappointment. I felt guilty as all hell. Phichit wasn't here. I couldn't apologise. I couldn't even say goodbye.

"Give us a few minutes," Viktor whispered. "Yuri is very sensitive."

They left the room, shutting the door behind them. They had to work on fixing a couple of wooden boards securing the windows shut. Meanwhile, I was nestled in the comforting scent of Viktor's sweater, which was the only thing calming me down as I hiccuped in his chest.

"None of it was your fault, Yuri," Viktor whispered. "Do you know how many times I thought it was my fault I lost Makkachin? We almost lost Jean."

"He's never coming back, Viktor," my speech was muffled. "I miss him. I miss him so much. He used to be so empathetic."

I started to cry again. Viktor held me close for five more minutes, before looking down and saying:

"I want you to trust me as much as you trusted Phichit."

I nodded in his neck. His arms loosened around me, before he placed a delicate kiss upon my forehead. I relaxed under his touch, still grieving, still snivelling like a child. I wanted to see him again just one more time. To skate with him. To see him take photos of everything in the world as his passion for earth and compassion still lived on. I wonder if he'd be disappointed in the world for being this way.

"Can I s-see him?" I asked, my diaphragm jerking in spasms, hitting my lungs, making it hard for me to talk. I was so wound up. I felt so empty.

Viktor's sorrowful blue eyes washed over sadly, before he shrugged. "I don't know, Yuri. I don't know if... If he's food."

I hadn't thought about that, and coincidentally burst into tears once again, cursing this forbidden world, this forbidden pink disease of an unknown source; we were losing members of our group faster than I expected. I didn't want to see Phichit covered in fuck knows what from the hungry undead. I'd hate to see him become a meal - I just wish we'd carried him home. The situation was so tense. 

Viktor shook his head in sympathy, coddling me closer, protecting me as if he wanted to prevent the same situation from happening to me. His warm lips kissed my forehead and his thumbs wiped away my tears. I gripped his sweater and held my nose to it. It smelled like him. Like home. I'd miss this scent so much if he passed away. Phichit's bed still smelled like Phichit. The cologne he used was very distinctive and the platonic affection I felt towards him was still strong.

I calmed down, although very slowly. Viktor allowed me to grieve in peace. All he did was hold me tighter, which was very comforting. I was exhausted from crying. Exhausted from  _feeling_. I was suddenly scared to be happy, just in case something gravely bad happened. For now, I was grateful for what I had. I came to the conclusion that I'd do my best to protect Viktor and our relationship. It was hard, but it was certainly doable. It was the only thing I cherished that I had left. I clung to his sweater, feeling his gentle arms squeeze me closer. Jean and Christophe cared a lot, too.

The two of them came back in carrying plastic bowls of noodles we had thieved from the food court (they knocked first to respect our privacy). Jean sat down on Viktor's bed and placed his hand on my shoulder.

"It's going to be tough, you aren't used to this, are you?" he whispered. Viktor and I sat up and began eating our well-deserved lunch. Jean and Christophe were eating the same thing. The room smelled gorgeous. It made my mouth water. Jean's bandage was ragged and bloody, but he looked like he was doing just fine. I didn't have the heart to ask.

"But you were famous," I said, my voice hoarse. My eyes and throat felt sore from crying so much. "All of you were. Surely losses are just another thing that happens."

"That's not the case, Yuri," Viktor chuckles sadly, "that's not the case at all."

"I remember losing my closest friends to this stupid disease," Jean sighed, swirling his lunch around the bowl with his plastic fork. "I witnessed them being eaten alive. It was awful."

"I lost my friends too," Christophe shrugged. "But it doesn't mean we're not missing them every day, Yuri."

"I know we all may look rough and all, but..." Viktor scrubbed away some dirt on his fingers. "We've all been hurt. And in this society, with how things are now, it's okay to step back and curse at the world for being like this. It's okay to scream. It's okay to be mad. And for fuck's sake, it's okay to cry."

Christophe and Jean nodded in agreement. "Especially the last one," Jean clarified.

"We're here for you, Yuri."

"Yeah."

They both got up and left the room, leaving us alone. We tossed our bowls into the trash and slumped back onto the bed. I regained my position, and allowed Viktor's arms to pull me into him and his warmth. I no longer wanted to cry. I wanted to do my best for the people who cared. I felt my eyelids droop. My mind became weary. Viktor planted his lips on my forehead as if he knew - his slender fingers brushed through my tousled hair. I fell asleep in an instant. Tonight, Phichit wasn't coming home.

"Sleep well, Yuri."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm studying a lot for my exams which are in a couple of weeks so chapters may not be released as frequently, apologies!
> 
> I'm still taking requests for the mini celebratory chapter - I don't care what they are! Want another mall sex scene but with a different kink? Sure! Drunk Chris, Viktor and Yuri threesome? I don't mind! Just suggest whatever the hell you want down below, I owe you all a decent chapter to make up for all of this time.
> 
> Thank you for all of the kudos! <33


	25. Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri is still upset, but Viktor's found something that'll perhaps lift his spirits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for not posting as much, I'm in a very stressful time right now and chapters should be released whenever I can. Don't give up on me just yet.

Checked the calendar. Presumably Tuesday. I had been lying in bed for at least three days with plastic bowls of half-finished noodles rotting in the trash. My bruises were healing and my glasses were collecting dust on the bedside table net to me. The bedroom was empty. I felt exhausted. The sun was rising - I didn't seem to care, however.

More sleep.

* * *

Viktor shook me awake, jolting me out of a good, deep sleep. He looked at me with a reassuring, confident smile, before placing a small kiss on my nose and sliding my glasses onto my face. Why was he so happy? I didn't understand. I'd been asleep for a while. I felt so numb. I didn't want to move at all, and I still don't.

"Yuri," he giggled, helping me out of bed. I was so thirsty. I did have a glass of water, but I finished that ages ago. "Yuri, we found a train."

Now this surprised me. Ah. I had forgotten we couldn't fend for ourselves.

"And it works, and Jean has memorised schedules," he grinned, ushering me into the bathroom. "Look, I know you hate getting up right now, but believe me, we're going to catch a train to find more opportunities, and maybe a better place to live."

"Who's going to drive the train?" I asked, yawning. Viktor pulled off my dirty clothes and threw them to the floor, before turning on the shower. If he thought he could force me in there, he was wrong. Terribly wrong. I had my suspicions and warm water wasn't as reliable as I thought it was. He was very happy. Too happy. I was confused, but if he was talking about a discovery, or something that could benefit us to lead a better future, then I had time to listen.

Firstly, though, I grabbed him by the shoulders and looked firmly in his eyes.

"Why are you so happy all of a sudden?" I asked, and I watched his blue eyes pause for a moment. He was thinking.

"We just found a station, Yuri," he whispered. "We could escape Hasetsu. Escape Yurio. We could do anything we wanted. We could find somewhere that's less ridden with the undead and begin to rebuild. This library is falling to pieces anyway."

"Leave Hasetsu?" I furrowed my brow. "Viktor, I grew up here."

Viktor's expression sunk. "Yuri, I haven't been to Russia for half a year."

How selfish of me.

"Do you not think I feel the same way?" he muttered. His warm hands cupped my ice-cold cheeks. He was so soft; I delicately held his left wrist with my right hand and sympathetically into his eyes. I nodded.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I didn't know you've been away for so long. Do you think you'll ever make it back home?"

"I doubt there'd be a home, or a family," Viktor smiled, sadly. He then laughed and ruffled my hair. "You need a fucking shower, Yuri, you stink."

Viktor helped remove my clothes and turned on the shower, watching the clear water eject from the spout. I couldn't wait to get in already. I missed being clean, and the last shower I took felt gorgeous. I stepped in eagerly. My body was on show, but it wasn't like I cared. We were running around on the beach at night stark naked for all we cared. It wasn't new to see a bare chest. Or other things.

"You stink," I pouted, playfully hitting his shoulder. " _You_ need a fucking shower."

"Let me get in then," he grinned. Stupid smug face. I sighed, before pulling back the shower curtain, and allowing him to step in beside me.

To be honest, it turned out better than I thought. We sang old songs together, lathered shampoo into in each other's hair, messed around under the water, and almost wet ourselves laughing when it started to go cold. It lightened up the situation. I didn't feel as lonely as before.

My face was buried in Viktor's chest as he held me, our bodies slippery with soap and warm water.

"I won't let that happen to you, Yuri," Viktor said. "I'll protect you if you protect me."

"Of course I'll protect you," I smirked, "what kind of person would I be? We need you, Viktor."

I looked at the scars running down his chest, and the bruises and healed gunshot wounds speckled over his pale skin. I traced my fingers over each of them, feeling Viktor wince with every touch. I delicately placed my lips on his skin, kissing his chest until I reached his chin, where he smiled, genuinely, and pecked my forehead with warm lips.

"Can you imagine?" he laughed, "If the apocalypse didn't happen? We'd never have done this."

Something inside me hurt. "I don't want to think about it."

Phichit would still be here. So would Makkachin.

"That was a bad thing to say, I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry, Yuri."

We got out of the shower smelling like strawberries and cream.

* * *

Rice and chicken for breakfast. Jean didn't realise how much we actually took from the mall in Fukuoka. We should visit again someday.

We sat in front of a table with a map upon it. Christophe was pointing out the station, where we were, and potential zombie horde areas were circled in red.

"We could travel to Fukuoka again if the train is working," he explained, "we just need to find a manual, which is probably where the engineer sits. I hope so, anyway. Otherwise we'll have to look around for fuel, and the truck is so worn down and covered in zombie shit, I'm sure we'll get infected before we leave Hasetsu. And that's not what we want."

Viktor nodded, discussing further. He seemed rather confident. I loved it when he took over to decide our fate - he was self-assured and always knew what he was doing. Jean and Christophe, I noticed, were his partners in crime and usually took the easiest route. Phichit and I -

I went quiet. Viktor paused, his blue eyes turning icy with worry.

"Yuri? Are you alright? You look so pale."

"Phichit isn't here," I whispered. "We've lost a team member."

Viktor put his pen on the table and sighed. "Yuri, it's going to be alright. We're going to get on the train and possibly find new people."

I nodded. "Alright."

I was right. He was confident. The way he squeezed my hand under the table said so.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for coping with late release times - and also for reading this far.
> 
> I'm still taking ideas for the bonus chapter. Heck, I'll even bring back Makkachin or Phichit from the dead, just for one chapter. Or perhaps a Vikturi chapter, without the apocalypse - anything!
> 
> Apologies again. <<3


	26. [BONUS] [NSFW] Cupid's Strike

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor's surprised when Yuri's all over him, but then again, those bright pink eyes tell no tales.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS CHAPTER IS NOT CANON TO THE STORY. Please don't get upset (or excited for that matter) that it's all going to hell.
> 
> Suggested by [my pal](gohannismyboyfriiend.tumblr.com) on tumblr.
> 
> NSFW. Viktor's POV. Angst. Death mention. Then again, it's not canon to the story. Enjoy, folks.

We'd taken off his shirt. He was sat against the wall in the bedroom, his wrists tied behind his back and a cloth in his mouth. His eyes were wild. Almost feral. But the most unsettling thing about him was that  _Yuri's eyes were pink._

Jean and Christophe had left the room and it was a good thing too. I couldn't help but wonder what was going on inside his infected mind. Was he thinking of me? And although I had cried out of frustration, it was strange how calm he was. Perhaps he was waiting for it to kick in. Was he sad? Angry? Happy? By the looks of the obvious, raging erection in his pants caused by the disease, there was more than one thing he was thinking about. Sweat poured down his forehead as he writhed in his restraints. He was bitten on his forearm, and we'd covered that in a bandage. Not that it would do anything, of course.

"How are you feeling, Yuri?" I murmured. I didn't like how he had changed from an innocent, straight to an animal. It hurt seeing him like this. I removed the cloth from his mouth so he could speak.

"Like shit," he breathed; one corner of his mouth raised. "It hurts to be horny all the fucking time."

"Let us know when you feel zombie-like," I sighed. I walked closer to him. "I won't give up on you. I'll find a cure."

I cupped his cheeks as he panted. I didn't care if I got infected, too. I was losing the one thing I lived for. His muscles contracted. His biceps quivered. I knew he was fighting it. I stared into those rose eyes just like I did when they were a warm, chocolate-brown.

"There isn't a cure, Viktor," he whispered, his hot breath on my face. "I'll die. I'll die like this."

I didn't know what else to say. He found my gaze again before hesitantly biting his lip in anxiousness.

"Please don't let me die," he choked.

"I can't guarantee -"

"I know," he shivered, "It doesn't affect everyone, r-right? I could get out okay?"

"It's rare," I whispered, wanting to untangle him from the grasps of the ropes on his wrists. "Be strong for me. For everyone. We don't want to lose you."

Tears streamed down Yuri's cheeks. Oh, fuck, he looked so hurt. He didn't want this. It wasn't even his fault - he was caught at the wrong moment and some little shit had sunk its' teeth into his arm. We thought it was a stray dog that somehow got infected by the means of eating a corpse by the looks of the bite mark. Oh, Yuri. Even I couldn't prepare myself for this.

"Don't cry," I whispered, wrapping my arms around his waist. "Please don't cry."

He buried his nose into my neck and sniffed, pressing his body against mine. "Don't let me die, Viktor."

"We can only hope," I sniffed - he smelled of sweat, blood and dirt - and squeezed him closer. My heart pounded. I felt so upset. My throat was sore from crying. "It won't stop me from being with you."

"I hate it when you cry," he whispered as I wiped his tears away with my thumb. He had a patch of stubble upon his cheeks. "It's like the blue in your eyes becomes paler. Don't let it get to you, Viktor."

"I am," I said, "because I fucking care."

My mouth was on his in an instant. I missed the way he felt, the way he  _kissed -_ I didn't fucking care about the disease, but I cared about Yuri, and I wanted this time to be the very best, compared to the harsh world outside. His arms flexed, like he was trying to break free and grab me, but we both knew I couldn't let him go just yet. His strength was improving by the second, and although I knew that, I used the ropes to my advantage, and held his cheeks to kiss him harder.

He was warm. His lips were always soft. The disease had started to take over his body so each fluid was a powerful aphrodisiac to anyone who came in contact with it - my pre-apocalypse self would have known this was such a stupid idea, but I slid my tongue in nonetheless and made him whimper in happiness. This was all he wanted. The hormone went straight to my head and made me crazy from the start. I felt drunk. And there were too many missed opportunities to do this.

"Viktor," he whispered, "What about Jean and Christophe?"

"They looked after themselves before they found me," I muttered, biting his earlobe. "They'll be fine. Don't worry."

I shifted my knee against his groin, causing him to lurch forward and grunt in surprise. "Do that again," he panted.

His eyes were wide but he didn't seem dangerous. "You know the relief won't last, right?"

"I don't fucking care, Viktor!" he yelled, "Just let me have this moment with you, you prick."

Fine, have it your way.

" _I'm_ the prick?" I grinned, kneeling, dripping down his pants and glaring at the tent in his boxers, accompanied with a large amount of pre, emphasised from Cupid. I can't imagine how that must've felt.

Yuri stared down with a confident, smug grin, but that disappeared quickly as I squeezed the bulge with my right hand, and unbuckled my belt with the other. It wasn't long before I felt the effects, too. It was all for him.  _All for him._

"Viktor I swear to  _fucking_ God," he breathing hard through clenched teeth, stifling the filthy noises that came out of his mouth. "Please just -  _haah_."

My lips were already quickly scaling his throbbing length. I felt the veins protruding the skin as I continued; I never knew erections were this extreme when humans were infected. I stroked my own rather rapidly at the same time, tasting him, lathering my tongue all over him - pleasing him wasn't hard: his head was rolled back, his tongue hang out, and he panted, relishing the intense feeling he hadn't got in a while. He moaned my name through gritted teeth and bucked his hips, struggling against the rope.

Slowly, I took his throbbing cock down my throat until I reached the base of his shaft. He thrust his hips vigorously. I sucked harder, accommodating more of him, but he'd never get enough. That made me want to torture him more. He moaned his loudest. 

I let him go, wiped my hand over my mouth and used my saliva as lubrication. Yuri bit his lip as I lapped at his hot, blushing tip once more. He was close. I could tell.

"I s-see what you're doing, Viktor," he purred, "You -  _aaah_ \- you're Cupid's slut."

I smirked. What a colourful choice of vocabulary.

As I came close, I worked on Yuri's cock quicker than I did before. He writhed under the grips of the rope and moaned my name over and over. He couldn't get enough. His chest heaved. It was drenched and shiny with sweat.

 _"Fuck_ , Viktor -!" he whimpered, "Let me cum, you motherfucker!"

With an elongated moan, he released onto my awaiting tongue in plentiful amounts - pearly ropes coated my lips, cheek and nose; my head was swimming with arousal all too much. It was becoming overwhelming.

Yuri noticed, and knelt to take me in his mouth. I clenched a fistful of his hair and fucked his pretty lips as hard as I could. He wasn't getting away with this. Not after talking to me like that.

"Mmh," I grinned, wiping away his fluid from my face with two fingers and wiping it on my tongue. "You don't have a gag reflex, do you, Yuri?"

His gorgeous eyes were lidded. I thrusted deeper, past his tongue, feeling his warm mouth surround me. I released hard and quick directly into his throat, letting him eagerly lap it all up, tasting me, as I rode out my orgasm. His wet lips made a small  _pop_ as he withdrew. I didn't let go of his hair - I dragged him back up and slammed his head against the wall.

"Don't you dare speak to me like that again, understand?" I hissed, kissing his cheek. I let go of his hair and rested my hands upon his chest. "Let me know if you need any more  _help_."

"You're not the only one," he said as I untied him, and I kissed him once more. He tasted of me.

I laughed as I walked out the room, hearing him collapse, panting hard. I licked the residue of us from my lips. He definitely wasn't wrong - the relief didn't last for all of five minutes.

Jean and Christophe must never know.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sinned.
> 
> This was a celebration for 3k hits - woo! Thank you all so much! <<<3
> 
> It's time to get back to the sad, unsexy reality.
> 
> Again, come say hi on my tumblr: pixelpearl. I'll be accepting requests after exams finish, and I'll post teasers, prompts, and even art if I'm not too tired!


	27. Locomotion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The station is located, Christophe drives the train, a pigeon gets shot by accident, and Yuri doesn't get what he wants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so excited for this story and I hope you still are too. <3

We drove to the station and parked the truck in a hidden area so it was less likely to be stolen - by Yurio, it seemed - and walked inside. The sun was less harsh on us today, but we still applied sunblock, just in case. Without the means of any aloe vera (and it was a good job we found some) we couldn't be too careful about sunburn, or skin cancer; although finding a doctor nowadays was rare. 

Getting out of the library was tough. Yesterday we had to fix the barricades, pack our most needed necessities, and haul them into our travel suitcases. Since we travelled for skating competitions out luggage tags were still attached, which made us all laugh, but inside, incredibly sad. We'd have to expel the rotting dead back at the Ice Castle and go back there someday. Viktor still had sequins on the handle. Chris had lacy ribbons, probably to distinguish which bag was his when he left the airport. Jean's was covered in autographs and other phrases written in a permanent marker pen. We'd also taken Phichit's suitcase for extra room. We never knew what we could come back with - or, even if we came back at all.

We all wandered into the station, pistols in hand in case anything decided to startle us out of the blue. A pigeon landing on the floor caused Chris to jump out of his skin and shoot directly at it. We stared at him, matter-of-factly.

"That poor pigeon probably had a better shot at life than we did," Jean laughed, "Look at it, it's so fluffy-lookin'.

Viktor made a run up before belting the bird halfway across the station. I watched it soar through the sky when he kicked it, before it made a sad  _thump_ as soon as it hit the wall. I gave him a look that said  _'now, what was that for?'._ Jean and Christophe snickered collectively.

Viktor snorted. "It wanted to fly again."

We wheeled our suitcases towards the nearest abandoned train, which was half the trek we thought it'd be. It was smart to just leave the train where it was for everyone to make an escape. The nature, however, was beautiful. Ivy had grown through the cracks in the windows and seeped into the doors of the train. Bearing in mind the apocalypse began half a year ago, everything looked how it was left that one horrible, petrifying day. Birds had made nests in the trash. Squirrels chattered on benches. We even found a fawn slumbering in the morning sun, just below the broken train timetables. The date was set for the week before the outbreak. It was eerie. But these animals found it peaceful. The station was part of a home for them.

Quietly, to prevent ourselves from disturbing wildlife, we walked through to the closest train we could find. The wheels of our suitcases clattered against the marble floor. Christophe found the engineer's seat, took out his map, and we all gathered around him to see where we could to next.

"I'm thinking we could stop over at Tsukumi station," he explained, thumbing the corners of the map. Jean pressed random buttons to try and turn the train on, but before he could break anything, Christophe yanked his hand away. "Don't be a fucking idiot, Jean.

"Leave it to me," he grinned. "I'll read the manual. It's like driving a car."

"It's a train," Jean said, matter-of-factly.

"I know it's a train," Christophe sighed. "Look, just go find a seat."

Jean stayed put while Viktor and I walked to the very back of the train. The doors had been closed for so long. The white lights blinked into life with the familiar hum of electricity emanating from above. Perhaps we could obtain our electricity from here. We could power our generators. Come to think of it, we carried around our cellphones without a need to: no signal, no operators, but also no bills. There was signal in quite a few places, actually. Sometimes, it was also nice to scroll through old photos.

And that was exactly what we did. We sprawled ourselves out on the back seat and looked through photos of finals, grand prix, championships. Viktor had photos of medals, costumes, family, friends, Makkachin. Mine consisted of Phichit, food, sunsets, and Vicchan. Viktor was fond of the moon and grand architecture. I preferred calm lakes and tranquil nature.

Viktor continued scrolling through his camera roll. There were so many photos of his dog, and despite the fact that he was missed  _oh so_ dearly, he couldn't help but smile. However, something at the bottom caught my eye. Upon looking closer, it was Viktor. In front of a...mirror? Oh.

_Oh._

He quickly scrolled back up to contain his dignity and laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. "We don't need to go that far."

"But  _I_ want to go that far," I grinned. "Can I -"

With the screech of wheels against rails, we were finally on the way to Tsukumi. I cursed this fortune. I could have gotten away with looking at Viktor's old photos. The station reeled past us in a flash. Viktor and I relaxed into the seats of the train, seats that hadn't been sat on for months. I was just about to settle and relax, before Viktor pulled me in and sat me on his lap, exhaling a long breath through his nostrils into my clean hair. I felt it blow around.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. "This is your first expedition without Phichit."

"I'll be fine," I shrugged. "I'm accepting that these things are going to happen."

"How brave," Viktor smiled. "Just let me know when you're not feeling so great."

"I will," I replied. It was a promise.

For the next ten minutes we sat there in silence, looking out of the window, watching trees, fields, houses, and many hordes go zooming past. We were cheetahs compared to them. The low rumbling of the wheels and the slow, calm breaths coming from Viktor, accompanied with the gentle  _thump_ of his heart, the minute scent of strawberries and cream, smoke, earth, and metal were all enough to almost make me fall asleep. Almost.

"Viiiktor," I purred, "What was that photo of you on your phone?"

Viktor hummed, his eyelashes fluttering. "Mmnnothing."

"It wasn't nothing," I said, sitting up and planting a kiss on his clavicle. "I saw it."

"Mnnh," Viktor's mouth curved into a small smile. "Really?"

He didn't open his eyes, but I didn't feel guilty about pestering him. I'd been lying in the same room for days without any form of fun. I looked down at his cellphone in his pocket, and very,  _very_ slowly, slid it out.

Unfortunately, he noticed, and grabbed my wrist to stop me. His eyes opened, and those beautiful blue gems were gazing at me again.

"What is it?" he laughed, "I haven't got anything to show you. Honest."

"Liar!" I aimed for the soft, sensitive part of his stomach and tickled him mercilessly. We could have a little fun from time to time.

 _"Y-Yuri!"_ he squealed, falling onto his back on the chair, trying to fight me off to no avail. I enjoyed messing with Viktor. He could look like a terrifying guy and then a gentle little tiger cub the next. "I-I don't have anything! Stop!"

His laughter bubbled throughout the train, and I continued to riddle my fingers along his stomach until his phone slipped out of his pocket. I took advantage of this and dived straight for it, but with his strength, he pried it out of my hands before I could even guess the passcode.

"I'll show you later," he grinned, catching his breath. We took our seats and got into the same position as before, only we laid down along the back seat. I enjoyed being this close. I felt so protected.

"Stop fucking around on the train, you two," Christophe's voice appeared from the speaker behind us. "Jean has access to the cameras."

With this knowledge, Viktor merely raised an eyebrow. His eyes were closed again, trying to take a nap. He raised his hand to the nearest camera, and flipped the bird.

"I'm taking what you said as a promise," I whispered, kissing his stubble.

Viktor opened one eye. "I know. You'll get it. Eventually."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A long chapter since you all deserve one.
> 
> I miss your comments! All feedback is appreciated, I love communicating with my readers to see what they want! Thank you all very much for supporting this fic. <333


	28. Hotel Room Service

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The train halts, Yuri's guilty, Viktor has secret nudes.

Well, our situation escalated quickly.

We covered the cameras near us and sat in the back corner, where we lay an hour ago, but this time, I'd regained my stance on Viktor's lap. It wasn't long before we reached Tsukumi but we decided to take advantage of our time alone. We'd napped for ages: three quarters of an hour. But now, we shared sleepy kisses and made out in the rays of the sun beaming through our window. Viktor missed it. I could tell by how strong his tongue manoeuvred, and how his hands were firmly grasping whatever he could. It was like we took the apocalypse for granted and only used it for these moments. But I knew,  _we_ knew, that this wasn't going to last as soon as we got off the train.

He was tired. And it was attractive. Of course it was. His unchapped, velvet lips gave and took respectively. I threaded my fingers through his hair. My mind swam with hope - I could never have done this if the apocalypse happened, or if I hadn't stood up for Phichit when he couldn't lie. Viktor no longer had to lead everything on his own. I knew he depended on me, too.

But I had promised to protect him. Did this mean I didn't do the same for Phichit? Did I value Viktor's life over my best friend's? It was so selfish. I can't get a life back, and now Phichit is gone. I can't bring him back at all. My head swam with thick, foggy guilt. If only I could've saved him in time. He'd be right here with us, heading to Tsukumi, maybe living a better life.

It took some time before I realised that I had stopped returning Viktor's kisses; he was making contact with unmoving lips. I'd just kept my eyes closed. I didn't notice until he bit down on my bottom lip, and I was sucked into reality. In response, I took a sharp inhale of air through my nose, and slowly opened my eyes. Viktor chuckled quietly. His eyes were lidded. Peaceful. I'd never thought I'd see this side of him.

"Something bothering you?" he said, under his breath. It was low. That same low, husky tone that was rarely used. Oh, it affected me so much. "You're blushing now."

I bit my lip and looked up at him. Damn, those forgiving, sky-blue, cloudless eyes. "I didn't promise Phichit I'd protect him. I didn't value his life as much as I did yours."

"That's not true," he replied. "I know you've been talking to Phichit in the past. You relied on one another."

"I could have saved him," I sighed. Viktor brushed his lips against mine. I shivered.

"We've been through this," he was so calm. "It wasn't," kiss, "your fault, Yuri."

"Are you sure?" I breathed. The seductive persuasion was hard to resist. I trusted him. "Alright."

We sat there, trailing our hands over one another until the train stopped. I had enjoyed feeling his defined chest and running my fingers along his deep, baby-pink scars. My heart pounded, and I felt so warm. Viktor could help me stay alive. We depend one one another to stay alive, even. We knew it couldn't be a love story but we'd work hard to maintain a strong bond, even if we get lost. Eventually, when the train squealed to a halt, we'd arrived at Tsukumi train station.

Our intimacy ceased. It was time to get back to reality.

"Don't get killed," he whispered, "You have pictures to see."

"I forgot about those," I grinned. "Don't get killed either."

One more kiss and we walked off the train to meet Christophe and Jean near the engineers' seat.

* * *

"We're not far," Christophe sighed. "I came here not too long ago. Tsukumi has a nice beach."

"Is there a hotel?" Jean asked. "I thought there was a hotel."

"Yeah, the AZ."

And before we knew it, after walking in good heat for the least amount of time (under five minutes) we arrived at the Hotel AZ. For good measure, Viktor headed in first carrying his pistol, and shot down the groaning receptionist, the crawler on the floor, and the body just beneath the stairs, just in case. The hotel wasn't lavish, it was more of a budget - however, it appeared clean, and while Chris and Jean figured out where the rooms were. Since everything was in Japanese, I offered to translate, white Viktor confidently searched the building to confirm our safety.

As soon as I had helped Jean, Christophe followed Viktor, and I looked around. Apart from the bodies that were strewn on the floor here and there, it was a cozy-looking hotel. I hadn't stayed here myself, but with a small shop, a laundry room, and a kitchen, we might as well live here from now on. We just had to lock and barricade the door. Outside was a worn-down children's park, complete with a slide. Shops and other small houses trailed off in the distance. Behind them, lush green hills caught the sun, and the trees wafted in the breeze. On the other side of the hotel, was a dock without any boats. Figured. Everyone had left. This town was desolate and now it was ours. The beach wasn't too far away, if I read a sign by the door correctly.

Upon going upstairs, Viktor had settled into the most lavish room with the biggest bed and bathroom. Jean and Christophe seemed to own the floor below. It felt strange having it all to ourselves. I approached the door as I watched Viktor unpack his things. He placed my clothes and other items on the bed, too.

"Do you think this is going to be our new home?" I asked, making Viktor jump. He shrugged.

"It seems like it," he answered. "A temporary one, anyway. Come in, Yuri."

I locked the door behind me and laid down on the bed, side-by-side with Viktor. The sun was setting. It started to get dark. Viktor was caressing my hair with his fingers, making me shiver, relaxing into his warm body with every gesture he made.

"You said you'd show me that photo," I purred, kissing his jaw. Viktor smirked.

"Alright, alright," he chuckled, "it's not like you'll let me fucking get away with it."

"Correct answer," I replied.

And he did. I wasn't disappointed. No fucking way.

It was a photo of him completely naked, standing in the mirror, with his thumb and forefinger holding the base of his shaft.

"If I swipe, you'd get a close-up."

I swiped for him, and gave him the biggest shit-eating grin I could. "Whore." I smirked.

Viktor raised an eyebrow, before shoving me into the mattress and play-fighting me away from the photo. Yeah, I knew he couldn't hide it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I encourage you to leave feedback, I appreciate every comment! <3
> 
> Thank you so much for reading this far - if you'd like more or less fluffy/smutty Vikturi, please let me know.
> 
> If you want Chris and Jean to get together, say so.


	29. Hold Me, Asshole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone wants to go home.

Viktor and I stood at the window looking out onto the dock. The moon shone on the gentle ripples of the water. Everything looked so tranquil, like it was never touched. We looked into a twilight sky, and the lack of light pollution made the stars clearly visible. We stood there for a moment, admiring the galaxies before us, watching a meteor shower go flying by. We ignored the stumbling undead below. Viktor intertwined his fingers with mine and yawned.

"Go to bed." I smirked.

"Nah," he sighed, squeezing my hand. "Do you still skate? I noticed your blades sticking out of your suitcase."

I thought for a little while. I would still skate if there weren't zombies at every ice rink I found. I loved to skate. I still did. I just wish there were more opportunities to get back out there.

"If there was a rink free," I said, looking up at him. "What about you?"

"Same," he grinned. "I miss it. I didn't think I'd miss it that much. It was such a good art of seduction, Yuri, and I know you've watched me many times."

I wore the biggest poker face I could.

"I've seen your suitcase."

"Shut up," I rolled my eyes. "It doesn't matter. Not any more. Careers don't exist."

"Yeah," Viktor smiled. "I'm glad they don't. I hated the press. And the pressure to succeed. I would have coached you, Yuri."

"That would have been fun," I replied. "But we wouldn't be half as close as what we are now."

Viktor looked a little disheartened. He shut the curtains and led me to the bed, before falling onto the mattress back-first with me flopping down beside him. It felt so much more comfortable than the mattress at the library shelter did.

"Yuri, just treasure what we have now, alright?" he looked over to me. "No what ifs. No buts. No pleads."

I laughed. "I thought you fell in love with Chris."

Viktor chortled, before taking off his shirt and pants and crawling into bed. I did the same.

"No, that's not possible," he yawned. "Chris is busy with his own stuff. You just stood out from the crowd."

I felt my cheeks flush, but of course I didn't want him to know. I let him pull me in and wrap his strong arms around my small body. I wonder if he'd care if I got bitten tomorrow. Then again, I was sure Viktor cared about me deeply. Perhaps I could branch out and be less of a pussy when it came to fighting.

"If I got bitten tomorrow, would you do something about it?" I said, grinning smugly.

"Sure would, babe."

"Babe?!" I squeaked.

Viktor laughed. "I wonder what day it is today."

"Do you care?" I whispered, putting my glasses on the nightstand. Viktor pulled me back in and squeezed me tight. It felt good to be close to him again, after the cramped library bedroom, and Jean and Christophe always present, wherever we go. We got caught on the train but I don't think Viktor cared. He doesn't care about a lot of things. Especially life and death situations when he's involved. Weapons. Harm. Rain. Thunderstorms.

Actually, now that rain was thundering against our window, Viktor seemed hesitant.

"Are you scared of thunderstorms, Viktor?" I laughed, "Aw, you're so soft on the inside! You're all fluff!"

Viktor trembled beneath the sheets, his face illuminated by blue and white light from his cellphone.

"N-no," he muttered, "it's the fourteenth of July."

A flash of lightning seeped through the curtains, strobing the room with brilliant dusky-blue light. Viktor's eyes shone like a deer in headlights before he winced, cowering under the covers, before placing his cellphone on the nightstand beside him. I smirked. He wasn't such a tough guy after all. Although, I'd already realised that beforehand.

"V's scared of storms," I cooed, brushing my lips against his forehead. "Just because you're all rough and tough all the time, it doesn't mean you can't be scared of things."

"Fucking thunderstorms, Yuri," he laughed nervously. "It's so stupid."

"It's not stupid. A lot of people are scared of thunderstorms," I whispered, brushing his silver hair with my fingers. "Besides, you need generators to keep electricity on. Since the hotel has a backup generator, we won't be harmed. We're under shelter, Viktor."

"I'm such a pussy," he murmured. "I can look at death in the face but not a storm cloud."

"You're not a pussy," I giggled. "You're just -"

"I miss home, Yuri."

I looked down at him, ceasing my laughter. He looked so distraught. Of course, he only came to Japan to skate with Christophe and Jean. He definitely wasn't planning on making a single trip. If it weren't for survival skills and looting the mall, he'd have to wear his costumes every day. And I really didn't think he'd want those trashed.

"I know, Viktor."

His trembling fingers snaked around my neck and held me closer, until he was shaking like a leaf in the crook of my neck, his nose directly against my pulse.

"I wish I could go back. Fuck. I miss home," he sniffed. "I won't ever return."

I sighed. "I'm sorry, Viktor."

"Hold me, you asshole!" he cried, and of course I was taken aback. I tightly wrapped my arms around his quivering body and let him cry his heart out on my shoulder. Oh, Viktor. He'd had this bottled up for such a long time, which meant he didn't exactly trust Jean and Christophe. Of course not. They'd only been around for a few months, and before that they were rivals in sport. He stayed in my neck and cried for the next five minutes before he was exhausted. After that, I wiped his tears, waited for the thunderstorm to subside, before softly kissing his forehead and sighing a goodnight.

"Get some decent hours, okay?" I whispered.

I looked down. He was latched onto me loosely, his eyelashes fluttering, just like they always do when he's asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Viktor's scared of thunderstorms and Yuri wants to take him home :>>
> 
> A little Viktuuri angst is great from time to time.


	30. [NSFW] Authority

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christophe is in Yuri's bed and Yuri really hates pranks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sin

"Good morning, Yuuri," Viktor purred, his voice trilling a lot higher than usual. My eyes were closed but the brightness of the sunshine blaring through the windows was still vivid through my eyelids. I felt my hair being brushed away tenderly from my face. The bed was warm.  _So_ warm. I shifted closer to the heat of his body, pressing my chest against his, wrapping my arms around his muscular waist.

"Good morning, V-  _CHRISTOPHE!"_

I bolted out of bed and rushed over to the window, feeling so disgusted that I'd just fucking  _cuddled_ Christophe - and Viktor was right there  _sneering_ at me. It wasn't my fault. None of this was my fault! Oh, shit, he was probably in on the plan. I looked at the ground, noticing that I was just in boxer shorts, Chris and Jean were laughing, I was practically naked, I smelled of Christophe, and Viktor standing there smirking too wasn't making me feel any better.

As soon as the little shits left the room (Viktor had to usher them out himself), I locked the door and made sure they stayed out. I glared at him, cornered him into the bathroom, and sighed.

"How could you make me feel like such an idiot?" I hissed, jabbing my pointer finger into his bare chest. "You're a little shit, Viktor. When did you let him fucking slide in with me?"

"I thought it'd be funny," he grinned, ruffling my tousled, morning hair. "Besides, he wasn't going to  _do_ anything."

Viktor picked up a towel from the bath and walked past me.

"And that's my job, Yuri," he scoffed, matter-of-factly.

"I know," I huffed, "asshole."

"By the way," he said, rifling through the cupboards to find the complimentary hotel soap. "You look like you need to sort yourself out." 

I looked down to see my boxer shorts tented, which immediately made my cheeks grow the brightest, warmest blush I've ever felt. I can't believe I didn't notice, and Christophe and Jean were in the room too. _Oh, God_. Yuri, why must you embarrass yourself like this.

Stupid Viktor. Stupid smug smile. Stupid Christophe and him sneaking into Viktor's position. Stupid Viktor. Stupid - oh, he's naked. 

As much as I tried to avoid the situation, Viktor pulled down my underwear, playfully laid a harsh, wet slap on my bare ass and pulled me into the shower. I squeaked in defeat, almost slipping and falling into the tub. He was wearing that stupid fucking smile again. And his eyebrow was cocked. 

"Fuck you," I muttered. "We had a shower a couple of days ago."

"And? Your hair is getting greasy, Yuri," he said, rather cockily, lathering shampoo into my hair. I had to admit, his fingers were so nimble. They had their own talent. Shivers bolted down my spine as he continued, and God, how I wish he'd never stop. He gently pushed me under the hot stream of water and washed the bubbles away. The stickiness of the steam made his pale skin look oily. He was getting a tan from the recent sun. 

When he was done, he began planting kisses on my jaw and neck, babbling incoherent Russian phrases that I could barely decipher. I could hear "love," and that's all.

I was just about to wash his, before he pinned me to the wall with a kind grin, and kissed me hard. Oh, Viktor. Not here. I couldn't resist those velvet lips again. Just once. Maybe this once. One more time. _One more._

He had gained a little experience from before and now he was teasing my bottom lip and tongue with his own, darting it, snaking it around until I coiled beneath him, brushing my tongue against his perfect teeth and gums until just his taste wasn't enough. His fingers were in my hair, doing that stupid massage that always caught me out. And when I was at my most unaware, I let out a low, guttural moan.

"Good boy," Viktor whispered, "You're so beautiful, Yuri. So gorgeous."

The harsh stream of water hitting the tub made it hard for me to listen, but the praises just made me want more. I looked at him with a pleading, loving look. I didn't intend to do this. You're an idiot, Yuri.

"I wouldn't mind if you pulled," Viktor hummed, surrounding his tight, talented lips around the tip of my cock, and shit, if that didn't get me quivering, I don't know what would.

I clenched a fistful of his hair as he scaled my full length with his pretty mouth - I knew that look, too. It was that same look of concentration for when he was skating, the look of adoration, those sapphires gleaming dirtily straight at me. Every time I'd pull he'd moan in content. He looked so pretty with his hair pushed back.

It felt like heaven. I hadn't felt something like this for months, when I'd masturbate to photos (and fanart) of him all the time without shame. And now it was happening. A fantasy, that I, when younger, dreamed about happening. It didn't feel real. Especially with the undead outside. I didn't think he'd put me on a pedestal and pleasure me this well. Ah, that time in the mall. But of course, he wasn't paying attention to the most important part of me.

But he was doing such a great job. And I was so, so close. I mumbled stupid praises in Japanese so he wouldn't make fun of me later. How he looked. How the steam made me feel so filthy. How his tongue felt. 

I came hard down his throat, moaning against my hand until I couldn't take it. But he kept going. And even though it felt amazing, I was so, so sensitive.

"Viktor," I whimpered, "Enough."

He was such a little shit. It wasn't long before I came again as he lapped my tip in short strokes. I flinched. He was covered in it, but I was too sore to acknowledge it as sexy.

"Viktor," I pined.

Finally, he finished, and stood up with a small chuckle. "I'm teaching you a lesson."

"What?!" I frowned, "I-" 

"Let me toy around with you, Yuri," he smiled. "And don't speak to your leader like that again."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Exams have begun which means chapters won't be out as frequently.
> 
> However I have recently finished Voltron and holy shit - if you have any Voltron requests, please let me know. 
> 
> Comments are really motivational and I love communicating with you; although the amount of responses have decreased. I don't bite!


	31. One Step Forward, Two Steps Stuck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's zombie time.

We were outside again in the eyes of the blaring sun. We kept our clothes on - we couldn't risk another case of sunburn, even if he did pack sunblock (which we applied.) We strolled along the empty city of Tsukumi, lazily holding our weapons as they tapped against our sides as we walked. We kicked stones, moved body parts off the pavement, even had to take shelter behind cars to drink water. It was the worst. Most of all, it was boring. 

"Do you think anyone is gonna be alive around here?" I asked, and Viktor shrugged.

"I wouldn't see why not," he replied. "We're alive, aren't we? Surely there could be survivors."

I nodded. There was a chance of another group, or  _more_ than another group hidden in a base somewhere. More to the fact, they could know better about the disease. It'd be safer for us too knowing we'd have a cure or something to subside the symptoms.

"Did you want to have a look for another group?" I asked. "It may not be a bad idea."

"Let's just stick to getting supplies," Viktor said, rather sternly. "You never know when we could get caught off-guard in a bad situation."

"Yeah," I sighed, "I guess so."

"Besides," he said, looking down at me, his sunglasses glinting. "It may be absolutely spontaneous that we meet them, so we have to be prepared for that, too."

Christophe and Jean were waking ahead, serving us as bodyguards. Well, not entirely - they thought we were walking too slow and not enjoying the sun. It was hard to enjoy summer when the warmth was blistering and there was nothing you could do to prevent it, and no doctors to take you in if you get heat stroke.

We continued walking round a block, past a fountain that was still running in front of a tall building. None of the lights were on. It looked weird how the cars that didn't manage to make it out were still placed in the way they were left. A couple we had found were piled up as if they'd had a crash - everyone was desperate to leave, it seemed. And here we were now, all four of us unable to go home because I, for one, had no family left, or a functioning home to live in. The other three were from different places in the world. We all had a different feeling of homesickness.

"Oh my god, what the fuck!" Jean shrieked, his foot lodged in a corpse, which, mixed with the humidity, stank like a butcher on a hot day. Oh god. I felt sick - this was like the time where I tripped and fell in a pool of blood back in the food bank. Viktor noticed my dismay and asked me to turn around before assisting Jean.

I should have listened, to be honest. His foot was stuck in the stomach. It seemed like a man, 20-30 years old. He must have been run over straight down the middle by a motorcycle because there was a dip cutting right down the middle of his body. It was horrible. Blood had dried into the cracks in the pavement, he was riddled with flies - and the stench,  _shit_ , I was going to throw up.

With a couple of sickening snaps of bone breaking and the disgusting squelch of decomposing tissue, Jean's foot was free, but absolutely covered in fuck knows what. I didn't want to know. The smell was already putting me off everything I'd ever eaten.

"Have some water, Yuri," Viktor said, noticing my pale, sickened face. "Keep your breakfast down. You can't lose all those nutrients."

"Guys," Christophe muttered.

We turned around the corner after fussing around with cleaning blood off everything Jean owned, and saw a horde right in front of us. We checked behind - a couple of the undead were already crawling towards us - my heart pounded. Not only did I feel sick, but now fear and adrenaline was kicking in. I took out my pistol, held my breath, and followed the three of them into the horde. 

This was such a bad idea, but we had to defend our post. Besides, there was also a multi-storey department store at the end of the road that we could check out.

"Yuri! Stop daydreaming!" Christophe yelled, and I ran over to help, shooting one at a time, but wholly clearing the space in front of us. My body jerked and my ears rang at every shot that was fired near me, and my heart was beating wildly. These people were  _dead_. I began to leave all guilt behind and kept shooting.  _You can do it. Remember what Viktor taught you._

"They must've been after the corpse Jean got stuck in," Viktor shouted over the groans of the brain-dead and the many gunshots sounding at a time. "Only a few more!"

The whole feud was a blur. We kept twisting and turning, guarding each others' back. We were completely and regrettably surrounded. But soon enough, they all slowly and collectively collapsed to the floor, leaving us victorious.

We all breathed heavily. It was so overwhelming and I felt light-headed from getting so worked up.

"Is that all?" I panted, "Are there any more?"

"No," Viktor breathed, wiping the sweat on his brow, "Thank fuck."

We checked to see is Jean and Christophe were still in good shape. We found Jean first - but Christophe, however, was sat on the sidewalk with his head in his hands.

However, upon further inspection, there was a bite mark that sunk into his right forearm.  _Oh no._

It didn't look too deep. However, it could still pose a risk. We rushed to his aid, grabbed his arm, and wondered what the fuck we should do.

"Are we gonna apply antiseptic?" he breathed, clearly hyperventilating. "Fucking do something!"

"I don't know what we can do! I'm not a fucking medic!" Viktor yelled, desperately dabbing the wound with antiseptic wipes on cue. He looked at the bandages and seemed to pause. He could do anything, but right now. this was a case of life and death, and  _Viktor did not know what to do._

"I can be of assistance!" a voice chirped behind us. We turned around to see a small boy, probably younger than us, with blond hair and a portion of red dyed at the front. He wore a stained tracksuit and the smile upon his face was unsettlingly happy - he donned small fangs. Why was he so happy?

"I'm Kenjirou Minami!" he waved. "We can help your friend there."

His eyes then averted to me. We all seemed incredibly confused - did he say 'we'?

"You're Katsuki Yuuri," he beamed, "oh boy, if you didn't have a biggest fan I'm sure I'm it!"

Viktor glared at me as if I was a steaming hot bowl of pork cutlet placed on a silken white tablecloth served on his birthday. If that didn't scream possessive, I don't know what will.

"We?" Viktor cocked a brow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this far! Since I've reached 200+ kudos I'll try and get a bonus chapter done next time, so requests are always encouraged.
> 
> For my Voltron fic: wow??? okay i didn't think it'd get so popular whoops, thank you for those who read that one! and if you didn't, it's [here.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10916811)


	32. [BONUS] [NSFW] Four's a Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suggested by HaineRei ages ago, thank you so much!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is NOT a real chapter. If you don't like Viktor handing over Yuri like this then this ain't for you, my dude.
> 
> Tags: bondage, foursome, biting, praises, possessiveness.

We were joking around in the bedroom drunk, all sat on one bed - we'd pulled them all together for maximum comfort (and to fit all of the beer bottles on). It was just enough to keep us drunk for the entire night if we didn't get to sleep soon. Viktor lewdly caressed my waist as he pulled me closer, nibbling at the shell of my ear and making me inhale in ecstasy. I could smell the tinge of beer in his breath as he dirtily whispered Russian into my skin. 

Christophe squeezed my knee, laughing as Viktor took advantage. I purred at their gestures and kissed Viktor gently. "I'd rather you ate me up instead of leaving me to the zombies."

"I'm sure there's enough of you to go around," Viktor grinned, nibbling at my nose. I felt another pair of hands on me, before realising I was the centre of attention.

"Should we teach Yuri a lesson?" Viktor cocked a brow, looking over at Jean and Christophe, feeling their warm bodies pressed against me. I felt shivers run down my spine - to be used as a toy was certainly different but it made me so anticipated, I felt moisture gathering in my underwear. I'd be rammed over and over again and I had to bite my lip to prevent myself from letting out an excited moan.

"What kind of lesson?" I snorted. "You're going a little off-topic."

I forgot I was drunk.

I felt Christophe's hand hold my neck as he peppered kisses upon my nape. Viktor led the leading role and tugged at my bottom lip with his teeth. Jean caressed my thighs, running his tongue up and down my neck. My mind was cloudy with affection and adoration and I was almost too excited to become a toy for them. I felt every single wet touch and squeeze as they covered my body with everything they could to get me feeling even better. My glasses were taken from the nightstand and placed back on my nose.

"Aren't you adorable," Christophe purred, sucking on my neck, biting to create bruises that flourished like purple flowers. Viktor growled to show dominance - clearly he wasn't going to let just _anyone_ mark me. He had authority, and continued sucking on a faded bruise that was too small for his liking. His hands fondled the hem of my shirt before pulling it off me, and before I knew it, I was pushed onto the bed with my hands tied behind my back. Curse safety kits.

We were all stripped to just our underwear, but I felt so vulnerable and filthy just _led_ there, watching them look down at me.

"I'm gonna let Christophe and Jean do whatever they want, but it's not going to feel as good as when I do it, understand?" he winked. I almost rolled my eyes out of spite. He was so possessive. I was his, and only his, and this time was only an exception. "If they do something you don't agree with, you gotta tell me, okay?"

Viktor kissed me tenderly after I nodded, and licked each bruise as he went down, before surrounding my right nipple with his warm lips and sucking gently. The contact shot electricity through my spine and Christophe joined in, lapping at the sensitive bud with his strong tongue. I writhed and moaned, letting out the smallest gasps, before Jean's hand rubbed and squeezed the bulge in my boxers. 

"You're excited, Yuri," Jean grinned, widening my legs and setting himself in the middle. He gently thrusted against my length, causing me to groan in pleasure. Viktor began to massage my balls and take over, surrounding the tip of my cock with his mouth, keeping it restricted within fabric. I moaned desperately, bucking into Viktor's mouth. With the massage and the gentle oral, I felt myself going over the edge - the tender sucks on my nipples added to the feeling and I was overwhelmed with pleasure.

"You're so beautiful," Viktor praised, affectionately rubbing my inner thigh. "Are you close?"

"Mhm," I nodded, gently thrusting into his mouth. "F-fuck, Viktor, please."

The two of them gave Viktor a sly look, and began vigorously rubbing against the bulge in my boxers, leaving me shaking hard. I writhed against my restraints, lifting my hips to gain as much of the gorgeous friction as possible - I wanted Viktor's talented mouth again. I was so close.

Then, after a bout of squeezing and rolling their fingers against the tip, I came hard, forming a wet area upon my underwear. I panted, wanting more. I wanted to be filled.

"More," I whispered, watching my chest heave. "Please."

The tips of my ears and cheeks were glowing red as our underwear was thrown to the floor. I was positioned on Viktor's lap, reverse-cowgirl, and was slammed down on his cock with great speed. His hands grabbed my waist and formed a rhythm as I bounced, my prostate being slammed into over and over - my head rolled onto his shoulders and I let out a loud moan of his name.

Christophe and Jean leaned forward, and I took one in my mouth and furiously stroked the other. Jean grabbed a fistful of my hair and thrusted into my awaiting mouth. Spit gathered around my lips and dripped onto the sheets as I sucked hard, aiming to please. I switched to Christophe and licked away the bead of pre forming on the tip.

"Good boy," Viktor purred, coating my neck in kisses. The moan I made earned a few hard, quick thrusts that made me yell his name, letting go of Christophe in the process. Viktor moaned into my ear with a smile, panting against my shoulder. I felt his warm breath moistening on my skin, smothering a couple of bruises in warmth. 

I was pulled back onto Christophe's dick and sucked as hard as I could, looking up at him in ardour as Viktor pounded me from below. I wanted more. I wanted to feel even better.

Viktor pulled out and positioned me in a doggy-style position, before gripping my waist and filling me with his girth. I gasped and moaned lewdly, bucking my ass up to meet his rhythm. I watched Jean and Christophe stroke their lengths in front of me, before Christophe slid himself underneath me, and slowly thrusted the tip inside.

I gasped again, more pain than pleasure as I had two thrusting inside at alternating rhythms. I soon got used to their size and moaned to my heart's content. I began to sweat.

Jean took his place and used Christophe's mouth instead - probably for me to make more noise. I pleaded and moaned, begging for release again. I was so fucking close. The friction against Christophe's abdomen was driving me over the edge. Viktor raked his fingernails down my back, causing me to arch it, and groan in ardour. I adored Viktor. He went all this way for  _me_.

To prove his authority, Christophe quickly pulled out before he was injured - Viktor had pulled me up straight and began to stroke me quickly and lovingly, sucking on the pulse in my neck, thrusting as hard and as deep as he could. I begged for release. I begged for more, knowing I'd get it.

Eventually, I came harder than the first time, spasming over and over again as he rode himself into his own orgasm, releasing inside of me. Jean and Christophe coated my face and lips in white ropes of cum, letting it drip off my face and fall onto my chest. I had made the bedsheets wet, and Viktor slowly pulled out, his fluids dripping onto the sheets.

I was untied and pulled under the covers, being snuggled by three men at once, but mainly Viktor, who tenderly kissed each bruise and bit the shell of my ear.

"You're mine and mine only," he muttered, "You may have enjoyed it this time, but never again."

I nuzzled into his chest, nodding. I was far too out of breath to reply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this bonus chapter while Christophe is alive and kicking. 
> 
> Thank you for all the comments and kudos! <<3


	33. Scepticism

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minami introduces an old friend and tries to get Chris patched up.

We all stared at Minami, sharing a large amount of confusion. The air was thick with tension and Chris's arm looked painful. If we wanted him to survive, we had to trust Minami. He looked at us with a brilliant white smile. It was as if he never went outside - not a scratch was laid upon his body. Viktor had a dubious look upon his face, and by just noticing that, he seemed a little out of place. As if Minami was way too clean to even  _exist_ in the apocalypse. We were covered in all kinds of dirt and pieces of zombie.

"Alright," Viktor raised an eyebrow, firmly grasping his pistol. Christophe stood up behind him. "But if you end up being a piece of shit to any of us, you'll be happy knowing that you won't ever see the light of day again."

Minami's smile wavered, before beckoning us indoors. "Okay."

We walked towards a standard building that looked a lot like a hostel. Upon entering, it smelled like the dead, dust, and filthy bedsheets that obviously haven't been cleaned. It was hard to believe that Minami had ever set foot in there. The downstairs consisted of a kitchen, a living room - which was suited to look like a meeting place - and a large supply cupboard, of which the doors were bulging, as if they had hoarded too much in the first place. 

We followed Minami upstairs where we found four other people. Someone was resting in a bed, looking very pale and sick. It didn't seem like they had been bitten, though. It looked more as if they were on the road to recovery, which I was glad about. Upon further inspection it was a young girl, perhaps in her teens, gulping down a bottle of clean water. They had found a clean water supply too, it seemed.

Viktor stuck close behind me. His pistol was always gripped tightly in his hand; his knuckles were turning white and the veins in his wrists were protruding his skin. He switched to leading us, dragging Chris by his uninjured arm, with Jean following suit. Minami led us to a hooded figure, who was currently talking to an older man. It appeared as if he was his grandfather.

"We have someone who got bitten just now," Minami tapped the hooded person on the shoulder and he turned around swiftly. Viktor froze completely when he saw him, and almost flipped his shit.

It was Yuri Plisetsky.

"I am  _not_ having you go anywhere near Chris!" Viktor yelled, causing a massive scene within the hostel. I shook my head and buried my face in my hands. Chris was never going to be recovered at this rate. Let alone at all. We didn't even know if there was a proper cure.

"Would you rather me let him fucking die, or would you like me to help you?!" Yuri spat, turning around in disgust. "Get off your fucking pedestal. Nobody worships you any more, Viktor. Nobody."

Viktor shoved his pistol into the holster and bit his lip. His fists shook in fury as he held them by his side. As Christophe was walked over to a bed with Jean at his side, I went back to Viktor, who sat on a bed around three metres away. He looked so angry and distraught at the same time. There must have been so much going through his head.

"I don't know who to trust," he muttered, "Yuri's here. Minami's here. They don't mix at all, I'm afraid."

I raised an eyebrow. Maybe this was the only chance of actually finding other people. Even I was surprised that we had found Minami and Yuri - Yuri especially. It was strange how he'd got here so fast.

"I don't know, Viktor," I sighed. "Maybe it's possible that Minami and Yuri can help us. Minami seems nice enough and all we can do is tolerate Yuri."

Viktor scowled. His brow furrowed and he let out an exasperated sigh. "Alright, but if you're wrong, I'm going to seriously do something about it."

He reached down and gave my hand a small squeeze, reigniting that flicker of hope within my heart.

When we went back to see Chris, Yuri was unwrapping his bandage and and pulling on latex gloves. Christophe looked so hopeless and pale that I was sure we were going to lose him. On the nightstand beside him, there were a few syringes containing a neon-blue serum that looked too ethereal to be true.

"What's -"

"Don't ask questions," Yuri snapped, before holding Christophe down and injecting it right in the eye of his wound. The blood-curdling scream of agony he let out was unbearable. It sent horrifying shivers down my spine and I had to look away. Yuri then wiped the sweat of Chris's brow and urged him to rest. That was awful. I couldn't see him do that again. Was that an antidote or something to kill him faster? In fact, I didn't want to know.

"That won't kill him, right?" Jean asked, and Minami laughed.

"No! Of course not! Why on this godforsaken earth would we kill him?" he smiled. "It'd be cruel to kill. I won't even hurt a fly."

Yuri threw his hood over his head again and walked off, leaving Chris to calm down. Minami walked away from the group to check on the girl a few beds back.

"Are you alright?" Viktor asked, kneeling down by the bed. "How do you feel?"

"I feel okay," Chris replied. "My arm still hurts like a bitch but I think that syringe had a painkiller inside. Either way, I might die tomorrow, so you're kinda hoping for it, y'know?"

He laughed without confidence and sighed. "It even hurt getting bitten."

Jean laughed lightly. "It won't be the same without you and your stupid remarks."

Chris scoffed. "You're the one with the stupid remarks."

Minami piped up behind us, ruining the minor reunion and spoiling the hope that ensured that Christophe was going to be alright.

"Instead of hovering over his bed, why don't you all go get some rest yourselves? Pick any bed, apart from the ones that have the sick in them!"

Viktor, Jean and I walked off to find somewhere close to Chris to rest. We ended up taking the beds right opposite because they didn't contain bugs or dirt of puddles of things we didn't want to know of. 

The lights turned off as the sun set. Viktor was so sceptical about staying here that he found it hard to fall asleep. I woke up in the middle of the night to him staring at the ceiling.

"I don't like the way they're treating Chris," he whispered, turning to me. "I've got a bad feeling about Minami but I can't put my finger on it."

"You're tired," I whispered, rubbing my eyes and reaching for my glasses. "You need to sleep, Viktor."

He glanced over to Chris once again, who was sleeping soundly. The bite on his arm had faded a little and already began to form a scab.

"Alright," he whispered. 

As he fell asleep, I took off my glasses and rested my head, almost jolting back upright again when I heard Yuri whispering in the other room.

The only thing that distracted me, however, was that everyone was asleep in here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for bearing with me, I have a week off so eventually I may be a little more active on here and on my [Tumblr](pixelpearl.tumblr.com)
> 
> I encourage your comments and suggestions! Thank you for the kudos. <3


	34. Yuri's Quads

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri and Viktor go skating. How refreshing!

We woke up quickly to the sound of Chris yelling out in pain. Yuri was over him with another syringe - this time, a bright pink; so bright it was almost glowing - injecting him with a serum of unknown origin. All we could do was sit and watch as Minami smiled on, affectionately reassuring Chris that everything was going to be okay. By the pitch of his scream, that was the total opposite.

Viktor bolted upright and shoved his shoes and socks on, before heading over to Chris and pushing Minami and Yuri out of the way. The syringe had already clattered onto the floor and Chris made horrible, wounded whimpers that I was sure only an animal could make. He was seating so much his shirt was drenched, but the bite on his arm had miraculously recovered. Needless to say, I was suspicious. If Chris was indeed infected, he'd be all over us by now.

"What the  _fuck_ are you putting in him?!" Viktor yelled, crushing the empty syringe vials with his foot and grabbing both Minami and Yuri by the collar. Minami quivered, while Yuri fought back - leaving them punching each other senseless on the floor.

"Hey!" I shouted, pulling Viktor's arms back while Jean held Yuri. The silver-haired's growls were menacing, but if this was helping Chris, then maybe he should be a little grateful. Minami spluttered and held his neck. Yuri writhed like a fish caught in a net.

"Calm down," I muttered, hearing Viktor seethe through gritted teeth. He began to sweat. The veins upon his forehead were protruding his skin and he was tensing his muscles to escape. "Calm it, Viktor. Chris is fucking fine and you can't be thankful for even that."

I let him go eventually. I was strong, but I hadn't eaten a lot in the past few days. Yuri stood opposite Viktor before putting his head in his hands. The 'patients' around the room, I discovered, had all been discharged. This worried me. Was Chris going to be killed, or saved? He was so valuable to the group.

"I don't condone any fighting in the hostel," Minami breathed, calming down, shaking like a leaf as if he was the only one who'd been affected. "You two are animals. Animals!"

"When is Chris allowed to leave? Are you done with him? Are you done torturing him?" Viktor spat, his chest heaving. Minami merely grinned.

"I think he's going to be okay!" he trilled. His attitude was way too positive. I had to get Viktor out of here before he broke something. And not just a petty object like a vase. "Chris's arm is going to be just fine. He won't be infected at all! In fact, we didn't even provide the disease a chance. The serum fought it all off!"

Minami stretched, his arms covered in cuts and bruises as his sleeve rolled down. I felt a little sympathy for him. He was far too young to be out fighting the undead. I'm surprised he didn't manage to heal himself.

"Yeah, whatever," I sighed, picking up our bags, distributing them to both Jean and Viktor. "Do you know if there's a rink anywhere?"

"Of course!" Minami smiled. "Especially for you, Katsuki Yuuri, my one and only idol who inspired me to visit that very same rink in the first place!"

Although I felt flattered, Viktor was breathing rhythmically, as if he was going to snap at any point. I dragged him outside as Minami discussed directions, and soon enough, we were out of there. Minami patted Viktor on the back as an apology gesture as Jean stayed to look after Christophe. We were sure he was going to be okay. Yuri, on the other hand, remained silent. I guessed he didn't want to start any more discourse. I certainly didn't want to look at him in the eye again after killing my best friend.

* * *

 

"Ice seems pretty empty, huh," Viktor shuddered, glancing over the still-stiff rink, as if it wasn't ever touched. We managed to go back to the hotel to retrieve our skates, which were still in very good condition, apart from the one scratch mine sported from falling over. I still adored Viktor's. His were beautifully custom-made. I was always so jealous of his gold blades and the flag on the ankle.

"Yeah," I said, opening the doors and manoeuvring to the centre. I hadn't skated for at least a year now, leaving all my experience behind. I wobbled here and there, but after getting my confidence back, I made it. Of course, Viktor had no trouble. He glided over like a swan.

We had to dodge a couple of zombies on the way, which wasn't a problem, and it wasn't as gruesome as I thought. We had the entire rink to ourselves.

Viktor found the stereo and pressed play, which was a complete gamble on what came on. Surprisingly, it was a calm piano piece, and we made laps around the rink, sharing the past, the present, and our hopeful future. If we even had a future. Viktor occasionally grabbed my waist and skated as a duet, which warmed my heart. We pirouetted with my nose buried securely in his neck. He lifted me, I led him. It was as if we were always competitors from the start. I could never be as good as him, though. I'd always wanted to skate on the same ice as him, but never in this scenario. I was so grateful for this rare opportunity.

"Yuri," he whispered, have you ever choreographed your own piece?"

"I can't remember," I replied, shrugging. "I can't even remember how to land my quads. I could never land my quads."

Viktor grinned widely, before leaping into the air and performing his signature move. He stumbled a little as he came down but I couldn't blame him. He was planning on retiring anyway. I applauded and skidded to a halt, shearing ice crystals, watching them clatter across the rink. He laughed.

"I forgot how much my body has changed since then," he panted, running a hand through his hair. "Show me a quad."

I froze. "But I can't -"

"Show me a quad."

I braced myself, looking on to where I'd jump, and where I'd land. Shaking, I made a couple of laps to gain speed, trying not to glance at Viktor's encouraging smile. I couldn't fail again, not in front of him. I'd never put off the shame.

I launched myself cleanly and landed with a confident balance, however with my eyes squeezed shut out of fear, I couldn't see Viktor applauding in the corner. I nervously headed back to him, where he couldn't stop smiling. I laughed in relief. I couldn't believe the irony; I could only do quads in the apocalypse. Figures.

"Well done Yuri!" he trilled, squeezing me close and planting a soft, tender kiss on my forehead. I felt my cheeks flare as his nose nestled in my hair. "I wish I was around to see you fail, just so I can pick you back up!"

I looked at the floor. "No. You really don't."

Viktor was already halfway across the rink before he could hear my self-depreciating speech. He opened his mouth, before turning to me, and instead of speaking, he screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Yuri, fucking skate away you  _idiot!"_ he dragged me away before I noticed the creature behind me. And the next. And another. And - oh, shit, I couldn't believe this was happening again. It was disgusting. The undead were grabbing at us from the sides of the rink, their bodily fluids dripping onto and tainting the ice we stood on. Our shoes were in the locker room, as well as our weapons.

"We're going to die," I panted, my heart pounding in panic. "Viktor, what are we going to do?"

"I have a plan," he muttered, "get behind me, link my arms with yours."

_"What?!"_

"Just do it!"

I linked arms with Viktor, and before I knew it, he was quickly skating towards them, before dragging his right foot and swerving around so that I was facing them instead.

"Lift your legs!" he yelled, but I was already ahead of him.

It all seemed to happen in slow motion. My skate blade severed through several layers of decomposing flesh as I took down three at once, watching their bodies drop to the floor. Viktor put me down, and almost doubled over with laughter.

"I never knew quads would be this handy!"

"Me neither," I breathed, but there were more coming.

Viktor launched himself off the forgiving ice and dragged his blade across the face of one and the chest of the other. I tried to replicate, and ended up knocking one over, landing on its chest. I merely tore through the left-over jugular and it bled out on the floor. It was satisfying feeling how good it was to drag a sharp, unused metal blade through old flesh. But it was so,  _so_ grotesque at the same time.

A couple more and we were done, our blades and skates completely covered in blood. It looked horrible, like we'd just committed a mass murder with just ice skates. Viktor led me to the locker room and removed his sweat-covered shirt. Fuck, at least I know that I have that to live for.

And just like a magnet, I was drawn to him, wrapping my arms around him warmly and generously. He held me back in return, feeling that joyful  _thump-thump_ restore in his chest. 

"Thank you for saving my ass," I laughed, wiping my forehead and kissing his chin. We replaced our skates with our shoes and sat down, holding hands. The affection could be treasured more knowing he saved my life in a way.

"It's alright," Viktor grinned. I looked at the glass entrance door and stared at the blue sky. A figure was walking just below it. I squinted to make sure it wasn't another zombie.

"Viktor," I furrowed my brow. "What is that?"

"That's..." he muttered. "Oh, no."

"Huh?"

"It's Minami. He's holding something."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So who do you trust? Yuri, or Minami?  
> Is Chris gonna be okay?  
> Or, will anyone be okay?


	35. Blue or Pink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minami needs some confronting and Viktor isn't sure who to trust.

Minami approached us with great haste, carrying something in his hand which resembled another syringe. I hated this immediately. My heart began to pound against my chest for the umpteenth time today and I was fed up of the surges of panic I'd been through. Viktor pulled his shirt back on and walked up to Minami, his fists clenched against his hips. He then grabbed Minami by the collar and lifted him off the ground - of which, I didn't try to stop him at all. I had had enough of Minami's horrible syringes and that busted hostel. We needed to get back, with Chris, to the hotel. We needed to get home.

"What have you done with our group?" Viktor hissed. Minami was writhing, gripping the syringe cautiously. The vial was full of a clear fluid which didn't seem as outrageous as the last two that went in Chris's arm. "Are you  _insane_ _?_ Why won't you tell us what's in the syringes, Minami? Or am I going to have to force it out of you?"

"I'll tell you if you put me down," Minami struggled, and Viktor did so. "This one here has the strain of the disease from your friend's arm. We managed to get it out of him easy as pie."

I stood up and approached Minami. "So, is he alive? Is he doing well?"

"Oh, he's doing fine!" Minami grinned. "He just...he may be missing something."

It was at this moment Viktor snapped, and I didn't bother holding him back any more. Minami shoved the syringe into his pocket before Viktor started throwing punches - he was much bigger than the youth - which caused bruises and swelling to form over his cheeks.

"What the fuck did you do?!" Viktor yelled, lifting him by the collar again. "What did you do?! What is Chris missing?"

As the scene unfolded, and Minami was calling out for help, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. It was a black hooded figure, much like the one I'd seen in the hostel. Upon further inspection, I noticed the blond hair - Yuri was beckoning me over into the other corner of the locker room. I knew he had killed Phichit, but at this moment in time, what did I have to lose?

"What's wrong?" I whispered, hearing Minami laugh as Viktor missed a couple of times. I winced further as I heard - and literally  _felt_ \- Viktor hitting him with power.

"Minami isn't what he seems," Yuri muttered, "and I know I killed Phichit, but hear me out."

I nodded.

"He's disposed of Chris's arm, but luckily, Chris is right-handed, isn't he?" Yuri gritted his teeth. "The blue vial -"

_"Get the fuck out of my sight! I'm grabbing Christophe and Jean!"_

_"You can't do that without my permission!"_

Yuri huffed. "The blue vial contained the antidote. The pink vial separated the disease from the cure. We know how Minami got it in the first place - but that's for another time."

"Then why is it a bad thing?" I asked.

"The pink vial had taken advantage of the developing disease, so..." Yuri pushed his hair away. "The decomposition of his arm took place. I couldn't do anything apart from sever it."

"So you mean -"

" _Yes_ , I saved Chris's ass, and yes, he would have been a zombie by now if I hadn't have noticed. Minami has all sorts of shit in his supply cupboard."

I nodded. "I mean, thank you for saving Christophe."

"Shut it."

"Yuuri," Viktor huffed, walking over. "Yuuri, we're- why are you talking to him?!"

I certainly didn't want another person to get a bloody nose.

"Give him a chance, V," I muttered. "He saved Chris's life. Minami wanted him dead, matter-of-factly."

Viktor's ocean eyes turned into a mighty, grey storm. "Is this true?"

Yuri nodded. "All I did was remove his arm for the good. Minami was the one injecting all that shit into him."

Viktor had never looked so angry in his life. We raced to the hostel as quickly as we could to see Chris with Minami sprinting after us. This was a case of whether Chris was patched up - it was getting dark and we had to make sure Jean was alright too. We ran as fast as our legs could carry us, with a load on our backs. Viktor kicked open the door and headed upstairs, where Chris led, his left forearm completely gone.

When he turned around, it looked like the disease had tried to attack him. Jean was by his side drinking a glass of water. Surprisingly, he looked completely fine.

Except his left iris was a bright, sickening pink.

"Oh, what the fuck," Viktor muttered, "Are you alright, Chris? How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling fine, Viktor," he laughed, sort of nervously. "It hurt having the arm taken, but I think I'm better off."

"You guys should rest," Yuri furrowed his brow, "I'll keep you safe here. Minami, you're sleeping with your door locked. I can't trust you any more."

"You can't?" Minami sneered, "That's a pity."

He followed Minami upstairs just to make sure. We then returned to our beds, comforted Chris for a while and changed the dressing on his new wound. We threw away the new and old syringes so Minami couldn't corrupt his healing body any more. Viktor sat on his bed with his head in his hands. I sat beside hi, once everyone had gone to sleep.

"I'm sorry I doubted you trusting Minami," I whispered, "I didn't want you to go through that."

"It's fine," Viktor sighed, rubbing his bloodshot, tired eyes. "What an asshole. Chris wouldn't have lost his arm if he knew not to trust Minami with that pink vial."

"I know what you mean," I sighed, leaning into Viktor's shoulder. He wrapped his arm around my waist and coddled me closer. The situation was dire. We could either get out, which wasn't possible, because Minami had the key to the front door. Or jump out the window, which was a four-storey drop.

In the end, I collapsed into sorrowful, hard tears. Life was so difficult.

* * *

 

I could barely get to sleep in the end. I never knew the apocalypse would consume me this much. It was hard to think with bad experiences reeling in my head. We had swapped the beds because we realised it was too hot to sleep without a window. Instead, the beds were spaced out even further. Viktor slept all the way at the other end of the room.

I closed my eyes and thought of all the things that would still be here if it weren't for me. I could have protected Phichit. My own dog would have survived if I wasn't so involved in my skating career. I felt like such a disappointment. I let my country down. I let my family down. I let Viktor down. I hoped to sleep so bad. My throat was sore with the amount of tears I'd shed.

And that's when I heard Viktor let out the most horrible, sickening scream I'd hoped I'd never got to hear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> all aboard the feels train ;^)


	36. No Man Left Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri fights for Viktor's survival.

I bolted upright in bed and raced to the other room as quickly as I could to help Viktor. There Minami was, clutching the syringe that held that same clear liquid he declared was the strain. My heart was in my mouth. My stomach quivered. He'd injected Viktor with the C-Complex, and now I was going to lose the very thing that inspired me to become what I was now. With shaking hands and stumbling feet, I tore through the thickening tension to get to Viktor, who was crouched over on the bed, the syringe sticking out of his back.

"What have you done!" I shouted, angry tears streaming down my face. "What the fuck have you done?!"

Yuri thundered down the stairs sounding like two horses galloping across wooden floorboards. He grabbed Minami by the arms and pinned him against the wall, sifting through his pockets to find the antidote, while Jean and Chris belted out of bed to see what was going on. I didn't know what to do. I kept Viktor's cheeks within my grasp and ordered him to look at me.

"Viktor," I panted, "Viktor, you're going to be okay, I-I -"

He was terrified. I knew he was scared by the deer-in-the-headlights look upon his face. He grabbed my hands as his bottom lip quivered, negatively shaking his head.

"You will!" I yelled, "Viktor, I promise!"

"Yuuri -"

"What do you need?!" I panted, my head feeling empty. Panic surged from within the depths of my stomach. I was either going to throw up due to anxiousness or faint. I couldn't afford to lose him. He was the leader. He taught me how to use weapons and scavenge when food was scarce. He saved my life multiple times and now it was my turn to save his.

Before he could speak, Plisetsky was thrown onto the floor by a couple of Minami's acquaintances, and Viktor was torn from my arms in an instant. I screamed for help. My throat was raw from calling his name. This couldn't be real. I was going to lose him in less than a couple of days. I couldn't wait until then. He would never be the same again if the disease overrode his mind. I almost wretched at the thought. 

 _"Viktor!"_ I bellowed, hoping the people in the dark clothes would at least consider my cry. Viktor looked so helpless. He kicked and writhed against their grip and even broke free once or twice. It was painful to watch. The only room after that was the supply cupboard, and I had watched Minami go in there so many times.

I chased after him, despising the idea of him being transformed into a lab rat to conduct experiments on. He'd been through too much. I didn't want him maimed by what he saw, nor did I want him taken, let alone at all. I heard Jean and Chris call my name many times, but I was determined to get there.

In a blur, I did - but only with enough time to try and free him. His hands were bound with rope behind his back and all I could do was pull. I didn't know if I was making it worse. The people in the dark clothes were going to return soon, but not soon enough. This bought me some time.

"Viktor," I trembled. "I'm gonna get you out. I'm going to try."

"Yuuri," he panted, his face and shirt drenched in sweat. "Please take my bag and cellphone."

"I won't!" I choked, "I'm not leaving you here!"

All he did was bury his face into my shoulder. I acted upon this by wrapping my arms around him. I was clueless on what to do. Never in my life have I ever experienced something this bad.

"Alright, Yuuri, time's up, I'm afraid," Minami sighed, "I had to. Viktor's all big and bold."

He snorted, before crushing the empty vial under his foot. "Not any more."

I'd made Viktor's shoulder wet with tears as I held him as close as I could. My eyes squeezed shut. I was either staying with him or leaving with him. I didn't want to go without.

"Yuuri," he muttered, his breathing becoming ragged. "Yuuri, please listen."

"What?" I breathed, clutching his cheeks. "What is it?"

I heard footsteps coming from behind me. This was a terrible time. I could hear the clock ticking within my head and every second was getting louder and louder.

"I'm so proud of you," he tried to smile through the forceful tears curling down his cheeks. "You've made my life so happy, Yuuri."

"I'm not leaving," I cried.

"Remember," he breathed, tensing as the serum entered his bloodstream. The pain, I imagined, must have felt like lead threading through his veins. "I love you, Yuuri."

At that point, my heart had shattered into a million pieces. I was torn away from seeing Viktor at all, screaming his name, hearing him call me back. His mouth was wide open and shouting in fear. I kicked against my own will, trying to free myself, and all I could do was watch Minami close the door. Jean, Christophe and Yuri ran after me, before I was tossed out of the door. Luckily, they'd brought their bags. I wasn't leaving without Viktor.

"I can't go!" I shouted through petrified tears, "I can't leave -"

"We have to! You're going to get yourself fucking killed!" Yuri yelled, "Come on!"

* * *

We were back at the hotel in the dead of night. I was surrounded by the three of them. Jean ran me a hot bath, Christophe went to find something to eat (which was very generous considering he'd lost his arm), and Yuri rifled through Jean's clothing to find something that wasn't stained in chemicals and blood. I couldn't speak. All I kept thinking about was what Viktor said, and why he didn't say those things before. I felt heartbroken. I was numb inside, apart from the occasional tear dropping from my jaw.

I removed my glasses to clean them. Yuri started talking to break the ice.

"I'm sorry you lost Viktor."

I looked up and wiped the tears from my cheeks, before placing my glasses on my nose. "I'm sorry you lost Otabek."

He sat down beside him with a tired sigh. He had dark bags underneath his eyes. 

"I miss him," he smirked, rather sadly. "It's stupid, but I do. I think about him every day. I've never seen Minami do that. I chose the wrong path. I'm so sorry for what happened to Viktor."

We both decide to take a few items out of his rucksack to see what valuable items he'd brought in order for us to save them. He brought his cellphone, a change of clothes, and his Russian Olympics jacket.

I clutched it to my chest, taking his scent in for what seemed like the very last time.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	37. Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri isn't much of an asshole as previously thought.

Strangely enough, this hit me harder than Phichit's death did. Without Viktor by my side it left a feeling of emptiness in my chest, and a bottomless pit in my stomach. I slept on his side of the bed, the area where it smelled like him the most.

The room was cold and lacked any form of warmth. I missed having his presence beside me a whole lot, and I wished it was me that got injected with the strain, not him. It wasn't fair. He picked a fight with Minami merely because he wanted to defend Chris. Now, Chris was missing a forearm, and we were missing our leader.

Viktor said he loved me, and that was just enough to keep me striving for my survival. Furthermore, he even had Jean and Chris loot my home, and without that, I wouldn't be here now. He taught me so much, from first aid to shooting. We had fun on the beach, got drunk, kissed, and even that led to more. 

I couldn't cry. My throat was raw with the amount of yelling I expelled, and how many tears I shed trying to get Viktor back. I wondered how he was doing right now.

I wondered if the disease had taken over his mind yet and disposed of all the memories of us. I wondered if he was thinking of me. I wondered if he had trouble sleeping because of the pain in his back, or the nightmares he used to have. I just didn't want him to be hurt any more.

I wanted to ask Yuri to see if he knew any way to get into Minami's supply room. He probably did - but since this mission was a giant betrayal, I don't think we'd be allowed easily. Viktor was theirs and we had very little control over what they did.

I just needed the antidote and a key. Viktor was never the vulnerable sort, but seeing as he was tied up without any form of weapon, he might as well be. 

I couldn't stay in bed for long.

Getting out of bed, I grabbed the cold glass of water, took both mine and Viktor's cellphones, pulled on some shoes, and made my way to the roof. I sat there looking out to sea, watching the calm, indigo ripples ebb and flow along the shore, accompanied by the obsidian sky, bearing a half-moon and a vast array of stars. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Viktor felt so far away.

"I knew you were up here."

I turned around quickly and almost dropped my water. There stood Yuri, with a tired look upon his face. I don't know how a person could look so calm yet annoyed at the same time.

"Hello." I muttered. It was all I could muster.

Yuri walked over and sat beside me, dangling his legs over the edge. He took a deep inhale of the crisp, bitter night air and exhaled for even longer.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked. "What are you doing up here?"

I didn't want to admit it, but I was so tired. Yuri cared enough to follow me up here, and all I could do was consider his generosity.

"Viktor," I replied. "Hoping he's not hurt or dead. The usual."

Yuri nodded. "I have a plan."

My heart began to flutter with hope. "You do?"

"Yeah," Yuri turned his head and sighed. "Minami keeps all of his chemicals in that supply cupboard, including the antidote. Apparently, according to him, the disease will take over someone's mind in around a week."

"So we have time?" I gulped down a mouthful of water and tried my best not to get too hopeful, in case there was a "but." 

"We do," Yuri nodded, glancing out to sea. "I just need to grab the key."

"Can we not inject Minami with the strain to make him suffer?" I asked. I can't believe I said that out loud.

Yuri snorted. "I would if I could. You know why he has all of those bruises up and down his arm?"

I shook my head.

"He's immune to the strain," Yuri sighed. My mouth was agape in shock. "He was bitten once and survived. From then on, he's been taking the dead Cupid cells and placing them within vials to make cures and painkillers. They glow because of the virus type. It's what makes your eyes go pink."

Oh shit. With Minami, the strain could be wiped out altogether. So many lives would have been saved, including Makkachin's. All we had to do was grab the key and try and get Viktor out of there without making any sacrifices.

"Can we try and get there tomorrow?" I asked. Yuri shrugged.

"We should ask the rest of your group," he replied. "I don't get along with you all that well, but you seem trustworthy. I can tolerate you."

I laughed. "I just want Viktor back."

Yuri sighed. I turned to look at him, and his eyes were fixated onto the stars. No light pollution meant that we could see the milky way, and honestly, it was incredibly beautiful.

"I want Otabek," he murmured. "I don't know if you guys knew, but he meant the world to me. Oh fuck, look at me, regurgitating feelings."

"It's okay," I grinned. "Viktor taught me that, even in the middle of an apocalypse, feelings are acceptable."

"I guess he was right."

We talked more for a couple of minutes before hitting the hay. I drank the rest of my water and climbed back into bed, pulling Viktor's sheets over me, and checking his cellphone. He had so many photos of him and I, which made me hope for rescuing him.

We'd discuss the plan tomorrow. I'm coming, Viktor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm taking suggestions for the bonus chapter still, thank you for 4K hits!! Aaaah!!


	38. Rescue Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan is made and Yuri's already on his way to save Viktor.

We woke up early to think of a plan as soon as possible, and I was already ecstatic about saving Viktor from such distress. I knew it wasn't going to be easy. We sat on the bed in a circle, forming a group plan. Chris brought out the map and pointed at various locations, before settling on a single plan, and creating a backup just in case. Once we were settled, we counted how many weapons we had in store, and what exactly we needed.

"Do you have something to pick a lock with?" Yuri asked, twirling a Swiss army knife in his palm. I groaned, suddenly knowing where it was.

"Viktor has a set in his pocket," I put my head in my hands, thinking long and hard about where a replacement would be. The last time we picked a lock was at the food bank and even that was tough. We had to radio Jean to ask how to do it. At least, paperclips could be found anywhere, and Jean had the knowledge to pick locks with just that. We needed two. And nobody needed office supplies in the apocalypse.

"Can we find any spare pairs?" Yuri huffed. "I mean, surely, it's just paperclips or something. Anyone know how to pick a fucking lock or will I have to retrieve Viktor myself?"

"Jean picks locks," I explained. "We need to find paperclips. We might find some in the lobby downstairs underneath the desks. Just a thought."

The plan wasn't such a sham after all.

We were to head into the hostel at night, where Minami should be sound asleep. We took the guards into consideration and planned on killing them silently by strangulation - which, I didn't agree on entirely, but Yuri was extremely vehement considering the situation. If all goes well, we were to pick the lock to get into the supply room, hopefully finding Viktor, still tied up, and still sane. His sanity shouldn't have drained yet. We calculated that, if Minami was telling the truth, we had five days to rescue Viktor and give him the cure shot before all else fails. We also had to find the area where the strain was most prominent.

To do this, we had to retrieve a medical file listing the states of the C-Complex. We had to know which terms Viktor suited to the situation, and where the illness lay dormant within his body. In the last term, the disease would have reached his brain, and that was the point of no return. This was well after five days - perhaps a couple of weeks - and we couldn't afford to let him suffer like that. We'd retrieve the medical file from back at the library, and hopefully that shouldn't take us more than a day, if we had enough stamina.

Then, as soon as we returned back to Tsukumi, we'd return to the hostel, and carry on with the plan as previously mentioned. If all goes well, I'd be able to see to Viktor alone, find the correct box with the cure inside, and then find out where the strain was hidden. With this knowledge, I could inject the serum directly onto the strain, both eradicating it and getting rid of it from Viktor for good. We'd then destroy the vial to prevent Minami from getting to it, if he gets out of his bedroom quick enough.

Finally, if Viktor can walk, we'd be able to get out of there, fast. The hostel was quite open and the risk of being overthrown by obstacles was little to none. If he couldn't, then I could probably carry him outside and make it all the way to the hotel if we found a working car. After all, the hotel was a long distance from the hostel. We could then gather our things, drive to the station, and take the train home, if all goes well.

I took a deep breath as we strolled out of the hotel room carrying our bags. We weren't far away from Viktor's rescue and I was already desperate to bandage all of his wounds and nurse him back to health. It wasn't just a companionship - he had taught me so many things to survive and now it was my turn to return the favour.

We reached the bottom of the stairs and Jean jogged over to the desk to see if he could fetch any supplies. As he did so, I adjusted the strap on my backpack and re-secured everything onto it. I really couldn't lose anything. It'd affect the entire plan.

Jean planted a stapler, a hole punch, and an entire stack of paper onto the desk, but no box of paperclips were to be found. I couldn't get my head round the irony of the situation.

"I can't - oh, shit, yeah, here they are," he laughed, placing a small plastic tube full of multicoloured paperclips onto the desk. I walked over to retrieve them, not even noticing the couple of bodies beneath the counter. Jean leaped over the surface and shrugged. "Yeah, I almost stepped on them myself."

"That's so gross," I grimaced, furrowing my brow. Nonetheless, I couldn't waste time glaring at decomposing flesh - I shoved the paperclips into my bag and headed outside. I noticed that the others were following  _me_ now. I was the Viktor, and I wasn't so sure on how to feel about it. Viktor was way more confident than I.

We defended ourselves all the way to the train station, which wasn't easy. Viktor's speciality was close-combat and neither of us could do that alone. Since we lacked Viktor's demeanor, all we could do was shoot with as much power as we could. We had about five other zombies on our tail, but it wasn't enough to prevent us from going to the station. In the end, after our hands became sore and calloused from how many times we had to reload, and the constant shouting for support, we made it.

Christophe sat down in the engineer's seat and started the train. This was going to be a long journey back, but I was prepared. God, I was more prepared than anything. This was all for Viktor. 

Yuri and I took our seats, not sat too close, but then again, not too far away either. He gave me a look that spoke trust, and suddenly, I knew he wanted to help. He cared. He cared about Viktor more than anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taking a small vote - If and when they reach Viktor, would you like a fluffy, sexy, or an emotional reunion?


	39. Dusty Books

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to the Library. Yuri finds more embarrassing things that he completely forgot ever happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of your votes for the last chapter - since I've hit a few milestones, I'm now taking suggestions for bonus NSFW chapters!

The train ride back to the library was so nauseous. My stomach curled every time we travelled past a horde, or a collection of bodies that were led on the sidewalk. Many of them were children, and at that point, I had to look away. Viktor usually sat at the window so I wouldn't have to.

My heart ached for him. It had been so long since we last shared a moment together and Viktor wasn't going to get better if we delayed his rescue. I really hoped his mind wasn't as fucked as I hoped it'd be. He must be okay. He's a strong person, strong enough to defeat this strain. Maybe not defeat - detain it. It was possible for his immune system to be stronger than others because he was exposed to the disease for a very long time.

It was the fact that he was in pain. Surely he hadn't passed out just yet. I couldn't bear to think of all the serums he was being injected with. Ones that prevent him from getting cured, ones that increase pain, and increase fatality.

What if we got there and he'd- 

No. There's no way.

I picked up Viktor's cellphone . The charge was miraculously halfway full, which I exhaled in relief at. However, the service bar in the top corner kept flickering. I frowned. That was impossible. The phone service in Japan was completely out. There was no way Viktor's phone could've picked up service at all.

I picked up my own cellphone and turned it on. It didn't have a single bar. Maybe Viktor's phone glitched. Huh.

I was sat all the way at the back of the train, and Yuri had moved to the front to get a better view. I guess he didn't want me in his line of sight- I was practically  _pining_  for Viktor. Now that I thought of it, that wasn't the best thing to see. I would have moved if I were him.

I unlocked Viktor's cellphone and smiled at the background of his dog. I couldn't believe he still had Makkachin as the screen - I would have changed it right after the funeral. Hesitantly, I went into his photo gallery and tried to look into his past. There he was, folders upon folders of the banquets, the parties, Viktor and friends, and himself with his coach. I scrolled through, looking through all of the sunsets and beaches he'd seen. I saw me sleeping in the hotel, curled up to him.

I couldn't help but shed a single tear. I couldn't let Yuri see my cry - I wiped it away quickly and continued. He'd take photos of the empty buildings, the hostel, Chris beside the truck, and when we were all drunk back in Fukuoka.

Older still. The pictures of him in his room, alone. The shirtless photos. I bit my lip. I shouldn't have gone this far, but then again, Viktor wasn't here. What was I supposed to do?

I found the photos deep in his gallery, where he'd flaunt his sculpted body, looking like a Greek God in Calvin Klein underwear. Or no underwear. Hah, I found it amusing how he worshipped his own body so much. Even  _I_ worshipped his body. I felt a twitch beneath my jeans, and realised I shouldn't be looking for this long.

"What are you smiling at?" Yuri leaned into one of the handrails as he stared at me, a headphone hanging out of his ear. I quickly turned off Viktor's phone. My cheeks had flushed into a brilliant pink and I couldn't hide it. Welp, I might as well curl under a rock and die.

"Nothing," I stammered, "I- Don't look at me like that! I wasn't looking at- "

Yuri narrowed his eyes and stared me down. Mustering a grin, I crossed my legs and shoved my elbows into my groin, assuming the most casual and comfortable position possible.

"Why were you on his phone?" he asked.

"M-medical...information?" I looked up at him with faux confidence. "Yeah, I had to see if he was allergic to anything."

"Whatever, pig, we're almost at your shitty library," Yuri huffed, making his way back to his seat. I sighed in pure relief.

After a couple of minutes, I reopened the gallery and scrolled down to the 'Banquets' folder.

But when I looked at the photos from the past, I almost squeaked.

It was  _me._ On a fucking  _pole._ Was that Chris? And Viktor? Oh, what the fuck - how come I never remembered this? Chris must've known me beforehand. Or was he as drunk as I was? Viktor never mentioned it. Maybe he'd forgotten, it was such a long time ago. I was so tempted to delete these embarrassing photos, but, he must enjoy viewing them.

Yuri was in the background of a couple of them. This was so humiliating. It ruined the stiffening in my pants and now I just felt uncomfortable. I looked out the window and sulked until the train stopped. Stupid pole. I should never have gotten drunk, especially at the beach.

I offered to be Chris's dance partner that night, too.  _Oh, shit_.

* * *

Finally, we'd made it back to the library. We picked up our truck and drove all the way back, finally reaching our first 'home.' Although we used to think of it as a lavish shelter, one that had many supplies, it looked so crooked from the outside. Chris, Jean, Yuri and I walked inside, after unbolting the door. It smelled like dust and rotting food. How much had we left, and was everything still in tact?

I walked towards the supply cupboard downstairs to pick up the medical file.

"This place is such a shithole, but it's better than the farm Beka and I had," Yuri muttered. "How long have you kept food here? It smells of literal shit."

I scoffed. "We haven't been here for at least a week or two. We only ventured out to Tsukumi because we needed more supplies. It was better to have a lot of things than run out and then, well, die."

"More than us," Yuri leaned against the wall as I headed into the dark room. The light flickered on, and I reached up to the box right up the top. The shelves were rusty and covered in dusty cobwebs and small spiders. I shuddered. It smelled of old books. The floor was stone cold.

Upon checking the box, the medical file wasn't there. I replaced the box with a confused huff and started digging around stacks of paper and closed, unopened boxes of old library books. I stepped back to look at the boxes at the bottom. I had to find this. Jean and Christophe travelled upstairs to see if they could find it. I couldn't remember where Chris found it in the first place.

However, when my foot touched the floor, it made a thick, sloshing sound. I looked down to see that I had trodden in blood,  _clotted_ blood, and it stuck to my shoe as I dislodged it.

" _Whoa,_ Yuri! Get out the fucking way!"

With a deafening  _bang_ and the sound of a skull hitting the floor, I turned around to see what was wrong. My ears still rang and my sight was fuzzy for the next few seconds, but I realised what, and most of all,  _who_ Yuri had shot in order to save my life. There was blood everywhere - it had coated the walls, the ceiling, the floor. The figure had slumped to the floor, a gigantic hole in his skull.

His hair was short, his skin was dark. It wasn't impossible to tell, but he had a gunshot wound that was slowly being eaten away by the strain. He was wearing the same clothes as the day he had died. There's no doubt he had been bitten.

He was going to devour  _me_.

"I can't believe you shot Phichit twice," I whispered, clasping my hands over my moth. "Oh my god, Phichit."

Yuri shoved his pistol back into his holster. "You're fucking welcome!"

"Yeah, thanks, alright?" I gritted. I looked down at Phichit's remains. I didn't cry, surprisingly enough. It was horrible to see him in such a state, but in a way, I was thankful of him finally being put out of his misery. It was unlikely he was going to awaken again.

"Fuck, Phichit," I sighed, crouching down to look at him. His eyes had completely glazed over. The only thing left was that sickening shade of pink and his greasy, straw-like, tousled hair. His bone structure was prominent. It literally appeared as if he'd been dug from a grave. "What happened to you?"

Christophe and Jean thundered down the stairs and stormed into the supply closet, carrying a folder. Ah, I didn't need to go in the supply closet at all.

"What the fuck is going on!" Jean yelled, staring at Phichit's corpse on the floor. "There was a gun- Oh, shit." 

I nodded, before realising our situation. "We can't waste time. Let's go."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos, hhhh, ilu all <<3


	40. Read The Terms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The four of them go back to the hostel to retrieve a certain someone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW:: suicide and self harm mention.

We slept that night in the library in order to gain enough stamina to move on. I slept in the same bed as usual, with Viktor's pushed against it. The room smelled just like him and the cologne he stole from the mall. Hopefully we'd be able to return here tonight with him, if all went well. I hoped so. I needed Viktor alive and well and I really didn't want to continue without him. I didn't know if he could survive.

I couldn't sleep for the majority of the night. I was up reading the medical file of the disease, with only the light from a flickering torch to assist me. Surprisingly, Chris only read out the initial parts, and not the 'terms', per se. I flicked through, page after page, looking at images of victims and patients that had the virus within them. Luckily, they didn't survive long enough to realise Minami was immune, and had the cure. How selfish of him.

**The C-Complex - Terms and Further Information - What To Look Out For**

**_Term_ _One_ ** _  
_ _Strain found within the lower stomach_

_\- Drowsiness_  
\- Lack of strength: glucose delivered to ~~tendons~~ muscles leading to contractions  
\- Slow reflex arc  
_\- Pink irises_  
\- Denial, regret  
\- Depressive tendencies:  ~~ask patient to go on medication if symptoms persist~~

**_Term Two  
_ ** _Strain found within the stomach/chest area_

_\- Nausea_  
\- Persistent erections  
\- Increased libido  
\- Shortness of breath  
\- Fits of arousal: see  heat

**_Term Three  
_ ** _Strain found within the chest, arm, or neck_

_\- Increased strength_  
\- Quick reflex arc  
\- Tendencies to eat strange materials, e.g., dirt, ice, sand  
\- Self-harming tendencies  
\- Paranoia  
  


**_Term Four  
_ ** _Strain found within the neck_

_\- Amnesia_  
\- Violence  
\- Sudden rapid heartbeat  
\- Insomnia  
\- Heightened sense of smell and sight

**_Term Five  
_ ** _Strain found within the head_

_\- Increased sex drive_  
\- Animal-like tendencies  
\- Territorial behaviour  
\- A craving for meat, particularly flesh  
\- Change in appearance  
\- Strong euphoric feelings of worship or pleasure  
\- Tendencies to become engulfed and fall in love with the disease  
\- False senses of hope  
  


**_If the patient has survived these symptoms, they will most likely cease their actions, whether with suicide or sudden death._ **

I didn't want to see Viktor going through any of these things. Then again, it was far beyond my control, and if Minami's group had been testing on him all this time, I hated to think of him in pain, or worse. It was unbearable to think that Viktor had suicidal tendencies that weren't even his fault. Or an uncontrollable sex drive. I went to sleep after that. I couldn't read any more.

Upon arriving in Tsukumi, we raced to the hotel and placed everything we didn't need on the floor. This included needless items, like our cellphones, and other unnecessary belongings. All we needed, we carried - weapons, a first aid kit, the medical file, and the paperclips. All we had to do was wait until dusk. We ran over the plan again and again in our heads, checked we had the right equipment, and bandaged every open wound we could find. 

"Are you sure you're the one that's going in?" Yuri asked. "It's a big feat. Minami's guys are strong, y'know."

"Christophe and Jean said they'd take them out before I got in," I replied. "Strangulation, I think. Although, they could fight back- anyway, they know what they're doing."

Yuri nodded, and let out a short sigh. "Good luck, whatever the fuck you're doing. I'll always be at the back just in case something goes wrong."

* * *

 

Sunset. We walked over to the hostel as quietly as we could, so as to not rouse the undead, and wake up Minami. The front door was locked shut with a large padlock which Jean approached. He separated the two paperclips and began sifting through the lock to see which pins needed to be pressed. Meanwhile, we waited with baited breath, impatiently tapping our feet against the cold, concrete floor. Viktor was in there. I knew he was.

Soon enough, the lock clicked open, and we slowly opened the door and headed inside. We climbed the stairs to the vast bedroom and the many beds laid across the room. Nobody was there except for us. I looked at the bed Chris used to sleep in, and the sheets hadn't been cleaned ever since we were here a few days ago. Blood drenched the sheets. The vials were still smashed on the wooden floor. The room stank of rotten flesh, chemicals and sweat. It was cold with the coming of night. None of the beds were made. The sheets were strewn across the floor.

"Alright," Yuri whispered. "Just in there, the metal doors lead to the supply closet."

I walked towards the closet. The lock was already removed, and so I pulled open the two doors, greeted with Minami's guards, who were quick to throw punches. I grunted as I got hit in the nose and the cheek, searing pain flaring through my head. Luckily, with Chris and Jean's actions, they were pelted directly on the back of the head with the stock of their guns. They fell into their arms, and my companions let them carefully down on the floor. Now, Viktor was in the next room. I could hear him breathing. He must either be asleep, or very close to.

While the guards were unconscious, I couldn't waste time - I placed my weapon on the ground and tried to sift through the boxes within each shelf. There were vials and test tubes, syringes, shots, even food - I was looking for that telltale blue vial that had a radioactive glow. And with hope, I found it, directly on top of the highest shelf.

Jean gave me a lift up despite the stepladder in the corner of the room. I fetched the vial containing the antidote and glared at it. It lit up the room in a ghostly demeanor - I gasped immediately. It felt cold, freezing to the touch in my clammy palms. I didn't realise how nervous I was. Did I want to see Viktor in such a state?

"You guys stay back in the bedroom, just in case." I turned to Christophe, Jean, and Yuri, who nodded. Chris gave me a hopeful look.

"Good luck," he breathed, "be careful."

I closed the supply closet behind me, and went to open the door, clutching the first aid kit and the medical file in my sweaty hands. My entire body shook with fear. As soon as I opened it, the darkness of the room neighbouring the closet engulfed me, and that's when I saw him. The sliver of light the door let through fell straight onto his face, his eyes a shocking pink. They widened in realisation.

"Yuri," Viktor breathed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> are ya ready for ya sin, folks?


	41. [NSFW] Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a wonderful reunion. NSFW.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ps HaineRei heres the yuri riding zombie viktor you ordered
> 
> chapter's extra long. extra hard. extra juicy.

Viktor tried his best to scramble to his feet, but as soon as I closed the door behind me, I had scrambled all the way to where he was. The small window near the ceiling let in enough light for my eyes to get used to, and I got on my knees to hold Viktor's warm cheeks. His breath became ragged at the sight of me. I couldn't begin anything without giving him the shot first.

"Yuri- ah," he panted, trying to wriggle free from his restrains. I had forgotten about those. I tried to flick to the correct page with shaky hands and eventually, I did - the brightness of the vial lit up the room like Christmas. Four days, at least. He hadn't reached the third term just yet. "How did you- I was so worried, Yuri, I never think you'd- I'm so -"

"Viktor, can you feel a crawling sensation anywhere?" I whispered, sweat pouring down my face. I needed to get him out of here. Fast.

"Yeah, just below my left bicep," he breathed, "I'm so happy to see you-  _Shit! Yuri, what the fuck!"_

Then, I delved into my pocket to find Yuri's Swiss army knife. The restrains were of a tough rope, and it took a lot of friction and work for him to become free. My arm was so sore by the end, but as soon as the last string gave way, Viktor clutched my waist and pulled me onto his lap, where he sobbed into my chest. He grabbed at me as if I was going to disappear. My shaky breaths turned into tears. My fingers ran through his hair and grabbed fistfuls of his shirt as I checked for any cuts or bruises.

"Fuck," Viktor choked, as I grabbed his cheeks and made him look at me. Tears forcefully streamed down my cheeks and it hurt to sob but  _shit_ , I'd missed him. "I thought you'd abandoned me. It seems so fucking absurd but- just don't ever- Yuri, I-I -!"

With him coddling me closer and holding me so tight I couldn't let go - not that I wanted to - I cried  _hard_ into his shirt, trying to get his scent, burying my nose where he'd be warm and safe and hopefully free of any symptom of any kind. Viktor smelled like the woods and home - a small amount of chemicals were dabbled across his skin and I wiped them away, biting my lip to hold back vehement sobs.

"I didn't abandon you!" I cried, realising his strength as he held me. "I would never! We worked so hard - Yuri, too - to get here, to rescue you- oh, fuck, Viktor, please don't cry, I- "

We had to leave, just in case the guards rose from unconsciousness, or Minami heard us sobbing and crying. But Viktor had other plans. He was smothering every bare area of skin with petrified, relieved kisses and nuzzling his face into my shoulder. His hips bucked up until I landed within his groin, and that's where he let out a small, choked sob. His affectionate, fuchsia eyes stared into mine as he let out a needy grunt. His face hit my chest as he panted, and recalling from the medical file I'd tossed onto the floor, I knew what he was going through.

"I love you," he wailed, his mouth full of my shirt. "Thank you, fuck, I'm so- thank you so-  _haah_ , Yuri, whatareyou -"

Viktor let out an animalistic growl as I ground my hips into his. Those eyes of his turned wild and searched everywhere around my body, as if he was trying to get into my head. He'd been tied up for days now, so of course he couldn't get any form of relief. This must be new to him. His hands gripped my hips so tightly I had to flinch in pain. His fingertips pressed so hard, it was enough to form bruises - but he was pushing my hips to grind harder.

He let out a few incoherent sobs, looking up at me desperately. "Yuri -"

"Shh, sshh," I whispered. I found the zip of his jeans and let him pull them down, just to his knees, before he spread them. He sat up against the wall with a large tent in his boxers and a pained grimace. "It's okay, I'm going to help."

Viktor looked dishevelled and tilted his head back to moan croakily. My fingers found his length and I almost gasped at how much he'd swelled - the disease must've gotten to his reproductive system. His size had seemed to increase, both in girth and length. Pre coated his underwear and his hands were impatiently running through my hair and tugging at my shirt as I squeezed his clothed shaft.

He inhaled sharply as I tore away his underwear, watching his erection stiffen to attention. The tip was flushing an adorable baby pink, which I didn't know if it was a side-effect or not. Nevertheless, Viktor basking in the moonlight with his jeans crumpled to his knees was a sight I wanted to remember. His breath made hot vapour in the air and I was hesitant about even  _fucking_ him - about all of this - because I didn't want to get hurt.

_Oh, fuck it._

I kissed him,  _hard_ , feeling him moan into my mouth as I tore off my jeans and sunk onto his length. I was right - he was much bigger, and  _stronger_ , and he smelled of sex and sweat and  _him_ and oh god, I didn't know I craved him this much. My own heat was pressed against our bodies as I rode him hard, hearing his broken moans and shudders against my ear. I could tell he needed this. He sucked and nibbled at my neck, bruises flourishing into purple lovebites as he marked me, showing territory, biting my shoulder as he purred in delight.

Viktor's warm, quivering hands gripped my ass tightly, shoving me onto his cock as hard as he could, before he got restless and started thrusting upwards into my prostate. Every single pound was emphasised by his smell. I realised that it heightened the closer I got to his neck - these effects were going to wear off due to the antidote, and I had to make the most of them. He was so  _strong_ , and his stamina had heightened greatly. With a mouthful of his shirt, I held onto him tightly and groaned in pleasure, not caring if we got caught, not caring how deep his teeth sunk.

His breathing became ragged. "You're so beautiful, Yuri," he breathed, "You should see yourself, all loose, loud, completely helpless on top of  _me,_ having your ass pounded - shit, I'm so happy you're here."

The phrases left me stiffening. The days that he'd held this in and  _longed_ for it - the amount of time must be unbelievable - he was so swollen that I had to be stretched for him to fit. I felt so full, and I couldn't wait to feel  _fuller_ ; his balls were larger and firm, and with the amount of strength and stamina he had, my thighs were beginning to sting as they slapped against Viktor's. His palms were making prominent, red handprints on my ass.

Of course, with this newfound strength, he could slam into me harder than before. I had to stifle each sound by biting his shoulder, which Viktor didn't seem to care about. My nails raked across his back as I fumbled beneath his shirt and practically came undone on top of him.

I wanted to cum. I wanted it to happen so bad. Not only that, but I'd completely forgotten about our situation. I didn't care. I was with Viktor now. He smelled  _wonderful_ and I didn't want that taken away from me.

Viktor still persisted, and bucked his hips harder, delivering a rougher pound, fucking me raw. I grabbed a fistful of his hair and moaned through gritted teeth. It's like he had zombie instinct. He whispered incoherent Russian into my shoulder and sank his teeth into my skin. 

"Mine," he growled, repeating it over and over again; the same echo of  _'mine, mine, mine_ ,' being muttered into my ear continued as he felt my body, gripping me in places that needed his touch, until his right hand gave my backside a firm slap, and his left generously squeezed and stroked my cock.

My back formed an arc as he rubbed his thumb on the hot tip vigorously, sending me wailing for more, gripping onto Viktor's flushed, sweating skin with my fingernails. I rode into his rhythm, bouncing with as much strength as I could muster to deliver both of us to powerful orgasms. Viktor let out a choked, guttural moan, his thrusts becoming more powerful still, before he clutched me close to him and came  _hard_ , pumping me with squirts of hot, thick cum.

He didn't stop there. I felt it leak onto my thighs as he slammed into me at great speed, trying to get me there too, until I did - I came explosively over his knuckles and chest, repeating his name over and over again into his shoulder, feeling myself convulse almost painfully against his cock.

I had his shirt in my fists as I tried my best to catch my breath. I couldn't believe he was here. I'd saved him. He was here. I felt like crying all over again. I missed him so much.

Our lips collided once more and I held him tighter than ever before, as if I was going to lose him again. We were dripping with sweat and covered in ropes of cum, and Viktor still looked at me as if I was prey.

"Let's go," I whispered, standing up, wiping myself clean. I threw Viktor my jacket and kissed him one more time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some lovely 'i'm so happy to see you' sex.
> 
> back to the angst we go! ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
> 
> (EDIT: big thanks to @gohannismyboyfriiend who almost had Yuri moaning "bounce me like one of your French balls.")


	42. Lost and Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor's out of there, at what cost.

We stalled in the supply closet for a couple of minutes to try and collect as may antidotes as possible. We slid them into ammunition slots and shoved them into the medical file to keep them half-safe. Viktor looked around for a pink vial, just to check if the effects were as Yuri said. Since we couldn't find any, we assumed that Minami made it just to test on Chris. The very thought caused the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end.

"Yuri," Viktor called. I walked over to where he was. His finger was pointing to a petri dish covered generously in duct tape. It looked just like a crime scene, with black and yellow tape surrounding the dish and the area it was placed in. A piece of paper was beneath it, reading,  _'Strain Successful: The C-Complex'_.

It was as if my blood ran cold. This couldn't be real. This was the first strain of the virus - no wonder Minami was immune. I didn't know what to think. My heart pounded in fear and Viktor began to sweat. We had to tell the others. We had to get out of there as soon as possible.

"What do we do with it?" Viktor asked, his voice trembling. I was thinking the same thing: he had just been something to test on, and if Minami had developed anything new, Viktor had it. Surely the he would have used the original strain - the antidote cured Viktor. He was looking better already. There were no working hospitals nearby. I didn't know what to do.

"Chris has a lighter," I swallowed, my mouth dry. "We could burn it in a contained environment? Take it with us but keep it closed. We have no idea how strong that shit is, Viktor."

He nodded, and we began to walk out. I couldn't wait to see Chris and Jean's face - maybe Yuri's too - once they see Viktor. It'd be just like a family reunion. We'd be able to talk about Minami and the new information we found. It'd be so interesting - but also, think about the new situation. Was the world affected? Was Japan the only country that was affected? Shivers ran down my spine. No. That couldn't be possible. People flying to and from other countries would have spread the disease worldwide, surely.

Upon pushing open the doors, we wore happy smiles to greet our friends.

"Hey! Chris, Jean, Yu -"

It was like my muscles had stiffened. I couldn't move. Minami was stood beside many corpses. Chris and Jean weren't anywhere to be seen. A hooded figure lay on the floor, curled up in the foetal position. A pool of blood leaked into the grains of the wooden floor. The bodyguards were motionless, too. Gunshot wounds were spilling blood, soaking into their clothing. 

Yuri's body was battered with bruises and tiny holes, all of which were seeping with blood. Minami held a baseball bat riddled with bloody, rusty nails, probably used to hit Yuri with. My blood ran so cold.

"Hello," Minami grinned. "I see Yuri has gone against my trust and I had to dispose of him, I'm afraid."

Viktor grabbed my wrist and made a break for the door, but Minami got there first, almost wielding the bat into Viktor's leg. I almost winced. I didn't want Viktor beaten too. I eyed Yuri's pistol just below his leg. I hadn't killed anyone before.

Sweat poured down my face as Minami backed us up into the other side of the room. I shook in fear, and Viktor's grip on me tightened, causing me to let out a wounded grunt. That was a bad idea. Now I seemed vulnerable.

"Viktor can't leave," Minami sneered. "I have so much to do to him. After all, your shitty friends killed my fucking guards. Now what am I going to do?"

"You created this," Viktor hissed. "You made us all fucking suffer. Do you know what you've done?!"

"I'm a pinnacle of science!" Minami laughed, turning around, pacing the room. I looked at the pistol again. I needed to kick it closer. Viktor let go of my hand and walked towards Minami. He had to be careful. "I could have had the  _entire world_ worship me and you decide to break into my fucking makeshift lab, cause a riot, steal my- get those antidotes out of there!"

"You're fucked up," Viktor muttered. Minami wouldn't stop talking. He was becoming hysterical.

"I had them worshipping it. The only creation I had ever successfully made, with my own fucking  _bare hands!_ " Minami threw the bat against the window, causing it to shatter. I inched closer to the pistol. "And  _you!_ You come in here and try to destroy it! To destroy  _me_. All of those people were so happy to have that in their brains and you ruined it for them! So much for happiness, eh, Vik? And you're supposed to be a motherfucking idol! I could do better than you! You're such a fucking -"

My ears rang when I pulled the trigger. I had shot directly into Minami's forehead, ceasing all kinds of hysterical conversation. His eyes glazed over, before he fell against the wall, his body making a horrible  _thud_ as it hit the floor. I couldn't believe what I'd done. I'd killed a zombie, but it was brain-dead. Minami was  _alive_. I'd committed murder. I'd killed him out of spite. Did he deserve it?

"One less thing to worry about," Viktor muttered, walking over to Yuri. "Is he- Yuri! He's breathing!"

I dashed over to Yuri, who clearly seemed to be bleeding beyond the point of survival. His breathing was ragged and raspy. He could barely muster a whisper.

"Good job," he hacked, "I was going to tell you about him in the end."

"Thank you," Viktor murmured. "I'm grateful for your help."

"Don't mention it," Yuri grinned. "I'll be with Beka."

Tears welled up in my eyes. It was so cruel. We'd been through so much in the past few days, it felt heartbreaking. Viktor was back, but at what cost? Viktor took my hand and we walked out of the hostel. Chris and Jean were waiting outside in the cold, shivering, rubbing their arms briskly with their hands.

"Viktor!" Chris grinned. "Hey, good to see you."

A couple of hugs were exchanged and Viktor took time to breathe. It was so refreshing outside and he hadn't had a bite to eat for a couple of days. I asked Chris for his lighter, tossed the strain in the grass, and set it alight.

"What are you burning?" Jean asked, and I laughed nervously.

"We'll talk on the train home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a slow buildup for the angst to come whooeee


	43. The Theory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More newfound knowledge, and Yuri doesn't know how to handle it all.

The walk back to the hotel was long and uneventful, but we had to supply Viktor with a good amount of nutrients since he looked so famished. His cheekbones were much more prominent now. There was a lack of muscle buildup. The strain must have sapped all the energy and life out of him. Nonetheless, he was able to walk - I didn't have to carry him, or walk him anywhere. He was pretty much independent. He was getting his strength back.

"So I have a theory," I explained, "that it's just Japan that's affected, which is really fucked up, I mean - the government, did they know we were here?"

The group stared at me for a moment, before erupting into laughter. "Yuri, that's not possible, no way..." Chris's laughter ceased. He looked back at the burning dish in the grass, now a smoulder of ashes blowing in the wind. Realisation took over his face and suddenly, it was as if he'd been hit by a bucket of water. "No, no, surely? We would have..."

Soon enough, we'd reached the hotel in pure silence. The sounds of the calm night atmosphere were truly contrasting our newfound fear. If this was true, then the whole world would still be working perfectly, ticking like a clock, performing how it should. Minami must have been responsible for so many deaths. We sat down on the bed in mine and Viktor's room, drawing out maps, the world, where we'd be, and the disease itself. The vials containing the cure were carefully placed beside our sketches, as well as the medical file.

We managed to dig out some food and cook it in the hotel kitchen, which still had a supply of gas, and a few food items left over. Viktor ended up having ramen noodles,  _again_.

"The only way I can explain it truly is with Viktor's cellphone," I took a gulp from my water bottle to deal with my dry mouth. I picked up his cellphone and compared it with mine. The signal bars were flickering on his, where on mine, they were non existent. "Viktor's phone broadband is Russian, I assume, while mine is Japanese. His could only be picking up the signal from all the way in Russia. And since Japan had its signal destroyed ever since this had happened, my cellphone isn't picking anything up."

Viktor furrowed his brow. "Surely yours must be picking up something."

"The signal towers are way too far away to reach," I explained. "When I went skating across the world I had terrible reception."

"So you're saying," Jean frowned, "that the whole world thinks we're safe and sound, and there was no point in finding other people?"

"Of course Minami stayed where the strain was made,  _he made it_ ," Viktor explained. "He had to stay with it. Everything is part of his experiment and now everyone thinks we're dead."

Viktor paused. "Makkachin wouldn't be dead if we found Minami first."

I nodded. This was all Minami's fault - and I still had the dread and guilt of shooting him. Yuri killed Phichit, I guess. Viktor with Otabek. Chris lost an arm. All this had happened and yet, I still feel guilty, as if the laws were still in place.

"So how are we going to get out of Japan?" Chris asked. "Surely the disease would have spread to other areas of the world through travel."

"The hospitals here have all shut down, they could have been offered healthcare elsewhere," I suggested. "You saw the state of the hostel. The strain wouldn't be strong enough without the origin."

"You're right," Chris said, putting his head in his hands. Or, rather, hand. "Oh, shit. My cats. Masumi. I'm gonna have to get a new arm."

"So do you think we could ever go home?" Jean asked. Viktor, Chris, and Jean looked at me in question. I nodded, before coming to the realisation that - 

"I don't have a home anymore," I said, in barely a whisper. "I can't go home. I don't have a family."

Dread overwhelmed me and suddenly I didn't want to be here any more. The interviews. The publicity. I couldn't explain that. I'd never have to confidence to skate again.

Viktor, on the other hand, looked angry. "Does Minami know how fucked up everyone's mind is? Sara and Michele could have fucking lived if we'd left, maybe if we'd  _checked_ , maybe if we let the whole goddamn useless world know that we were here."

I looked in my bag while the others talked about it. My skates were in my bag, covered in blood. I had no clean clothes, no proper food, no nutrients, and barely any clean water left. The generator could only hold out for so long. I hadn't had a shower in a week or two. I thought I was suffering with insomnia at one point. It was hard to think. It was hard to breathe. My heart pounded so hard with this newfound fear that I couldn't get my head around it. I was never good with feelings. I was never good with anything. Was this my fault? Did I lead Viktor the wrong way? My palms were sweaty. I shuddered, breaking out into a cold, clammy sweat.

I deserved it. I deserved to be dead. I wouldn't be missed - my family are gone already.

* * *

The next thing I knew, I had a pounding headache and blurry vision. My eyes opened. The hotel ceiling was right there, and the sunrise was threading through the window like cleanly-spun golden thread. I felt cold, but the warmth of the bed had engulfed me. Did I have a fever? Why weren't Chris and Jean in here? Where was Viktor?

"You're finally awake," a voice croaked. I turned my head to see Viktor, his cheeks stained with tears. There was a dark patch on the pillow. He looked so tired. "You fainted, Yuri. You hit your head on the way down and you haven't woken up since."

"What time is it?" I whispered. I lifted a hand to feel a sore bump on my head. Viktor picked up his cellphone and turned it on. "It's six in the morning, Yuri. I haven't slept because I wanted to keep an eye on you."

I suddenly realised my situation. I had fainted through mere panic.

"You should have slept, Viktor," I turned onto my side, wincing as I did so. His hand reached out to caress my cheek. "I don't deserve to be cared for, you know."

Viktor's expression changed. He frowned gently. "Of course you do, why not?"

"Because I've led you down so many wrong paths," I whispered, feeling tears pinprick my tired eyes. "You almost lost your leg. You lost your dog because I wasn't responsible. I almost lost you to Minami's science experiment because I'd - I was dragged away and - you would have- I'm just so sorry that I left you for that amount of time and you must have been in excruciating pain."

Viktor's expression turned pitiful. "None of this is your fault -"

"It is!" I choked on sobs. "My family died because I wasn't fast enough. I could have saved Phichit if I'd warned him. I'm such a waste of space, Viktor, I -"

He placed two fingers on my lips as I hiccuped. "Shh," he smiled softly. "My dog is my responsibility. I should never have let him come, okay? I wound Minami up so of course I ended up like that. Phichit was in the middle of a feud and he wasn't the only one who lost his life, Yuri. You know that."

I nodded, sniffing. He was so gentle. It was hard to believe he wanted to rip me apart when I first met him. Probably because he hadn't had any sleep for the past three? Four days?

"And besides," he said, warmly wrapping his arms around my waist, pulling me closer. "I survived a bear attack. I survived a couple of gunshot wounds when Chris thought I was a zombie for the first time. And, черт, I had the strain injected into my back, Yuri. I'm still here."

I nodded again, nestling my face into his warm neck. He smelled like fabric softener and the woods. Pine trees. Wet bark. Flora and fauna. His hand caressed my back. My skin seemed to tingle wherever he touched.

"Just remember that even though this whole zombie thing was a freak of nature, and even  _we_ shouldn't be alive right now," he whispered, "we are. And if you're correct, we should be able to signal somewhere. I don't know why I didn't try my phone in the first place, but we can turn on a few radios, start a fire, whatever, okay? We can't just fly anywhere. I'm sure every single plane in Japan is placed in a different airport in a different place."

I nodded, my voice muffled with his shirt. "That explains why we didn't see any planes overhead. They didn't even check to see if we were alive."

Viktor nodded, his slender fingers threading through my hair. "I know, and there's going to be a lot of uproar if we return."

I ended up crying into his shoulder. "At least you have a place to go."

"I don't know how long I've been gone, Yuri. The world's been functioning without us."

He took a deep breath and kissed my forehead.

"I want to go home too," he said.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy do I love making characters sad :")  
> (черт = 'damn/heck')


	44. Communicate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finding a signal is hard when, well, literally nobody lives there.

We all woke up late, around noon. We did all we could to get refreshed and have a good sleep, with Viktor needing it the most. I woke up to him standing at the window,  _literally naked_ , and almost choked when I saw him. He was drying his hair with a towel, which was odd, because I never heard the shower turn on or off. I reached over to grab my glasses and slide them onto my nose. My head was still sore, but with a small ache. It wasn't as painful as it was earlier this morning. 

"That's one way to wake up," I stretched. "I didn't expect your ass to be the first thing I saw today."

Viktor laughed and turned around, covering his groin area with his towel. "I thought you wanted something to cheer you up after being too overwhelmed so - oh, come on, Yuri, you're smiling!"

I tried my damn best to hide it, I really did. I covered my mouth and laughed as Viktor made the stupidest poses, flaunting his gorgeous body, his face contorting in the most ridiculous expressions. I doubled over with laughter as he performed an over-exaggerated strut towards the bed, throwing off his towel, and launching himself onto me, smothering me in kisses.

"Viktor! You're freezing cold!" I shrieked, my stomach muscles hurting from laughing so hard as I tried to push him off. "Get dressed! You're -  _Noo!"_

He'd resorted to tickles, but not for long. There was a knock at our door and Viktor had to quickly get up and throw on his towel. He opened it to greet Chris and Jean, who were carrying plates and hot food. Now, this was new. Did they manage to get it all working in the kitchen? If so, I was excited to have fish for breakfast. It was paired with rice but I didn't care.

"What's the plan for today, if we want to escape this mess?" Chris asked, sitting on the bed while Viktor got dressed in the bathroom. When he emerged, he sat beside me. I was wearing the clothes I wore yesterday, which wasn't new. Obviously I'd been put straight to bed when I collapsed.

"I think we're going to try and find somewhere high up to communicate," Viktor suggested. "We can go back to the library, find a radio, or even use the one in the truck. Or I can use my cellphone to see if we can pick up a distress line."

Jean nodded. "Then, if we do happen to be rescued, we have to ensure we have everything."

I was still eating my breakfast as everyone turned to look at me, expecting some input. With a mouthful of food, all I could do is nod.

"Sounds good," I swallowed. "We're going to have to think of an escape plan, and a backup plan just in case nobody comes for us."

"The backup plan is  _we die_ ," Chris muttered. "It'll be false hope. I know it is. We're going to turn on the radio or activate a two-way radio and we'll be answered with silence."

I stopped chewing at two-way radio. We hadn't used those for a long time and we only relied on the one with the working signal.

"We could alternate between signals to see if we can find a certain wavelength for communicating," I suggested. "You mentioned two-way radios. Surely they can go further than just the one channel we communicate with."

Viktor nodded. "Then it's settled. We pack our things, and experiment with the two-way radios."

When we reached the train station, Viktor did a headcount, and checked to see if we'd left anything. I looked inside my bag, as well as Christophe and Yuri. I was determined to find a signal. We all knew it was going to be difficult, but it certainly didn't hurt to try. Soon enough, we'd be recovering, with or without therapy. I hoped it would be the latter. Chris took the engineers' seat and Jean followed eagerly. Viktor advanced into the train behind me, squeezing my backside as we went.

"Hey!" I shrieked. "What is wrong with you today?"

"I don't know, I'm just happy, I guess," he grinned. We took our usual seats at the back of the train as it clunked into action. "I'm not looking forward to the interviews, Yuri, You'd be interviewed too."

"I'm not as important as you," I laughed, looking at the rolling fields as we passed by. We saw a couple of hordes, but knowing we'd be coming away from that soon, made me unafraid. I felt like I could take them on. Adrenaline brought me back and I no longer felt so doubtful.

"You are," Viktor winked. 

"You didn't come last and disappoint your country," I muttered. "I can't just...I can't just be interviewed, Viktor. They'll, they'll see me and think otherwise."

Viktor sighed. "What are we going to do with you, Mr Self-Doubt?"

He snaked his arm around me and I leaned into him. We might just be okay in the end. I'll just have to find somewhere to settle.

"Will we still be friends if we leave Japan?" I asked.

"Is that even a question? You saved my life, Yuri."

I nodded. Yeah. It was kind of a stupid question.

Upon driving back to the library, we fished out the two-way radios, used the generator to power some electricity if we needed it, and got a bite to eat. Chris and Jean switched between channels while Viktor set up his cellphone. I tried with mine too, even though the opportunity to find a signal was scarce. We forgot to pack, but that wasn't a big deal. We had enough time to spare, after all. Even more time if we weren't rescued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think they might just be okay.


	45. Search and Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Radios are a pain in the ass.

"You know this is going to be difficult, right? We should find a way to get onto the roof," Viktor suggested.

"Shouldn't we be packing?" I asked. Viktor groaned. 

We went back inside and sorted out all our belongings. Luckily, the other three had brought suitcases, whereas I just had a couple of rucksacks. Viktor lent me his duffel bag and all I had to do was place clothes in there. I came across a photograph of my family in my sweatpants, the same pair I wore when I was back at my place. Even Vicchan had made it in there. With a confident smile, I placed it carefully within the pocket of the duffel bag. I heard camera clicks behind me.

Viktor was stood at the window, photographing everything outside. 

"What are you doing?" I asked, my eyebrow raised. It seemed very odd and out-of-the-blue.

"Just evidence that they should never have assumed everyone was alive," Viktor murmured. He took a photo of the small horde in the field out in the distance. It was growing steadily closer. We had to act fast. I nodded and continued packing.

Viktor then went into the supply closet to find his boxes. Ah, the ones he told Phichit and I to never touch.

"Yuri, come here," he said, pulling out a beautiful pink outfit, threaded with gold; the tassels gave it away. I'd seen him skate wearing that. Some of the fabric was ripped. The glitter was rubbing off onto Viktor's fingers, no matter how delicately he held it. His golden-bladed custom skates were peeping out of his suitcase. I was so envious of them. I wanted a pair of my own, something elegant, perhaps. If I ever wanted to skate again.

"You see these? I doubt I'll ever wear them again." Viktor laughed pitifully. "I don't even think they'll let me skate, regarding my physical and mental state."

"They will, you're Viktor Nikiforov," I said. 

"I'm Viktor Nikiforov with a dead zombie virus and a lot of scars," he looked at me, rather forlornly.

"Surely that'd aspire you to succeed?" I grinned. "You kept me going and I landed a quad a couple of weeks ago."

Viktor shrugged, packing his costumes away. "I don't know, Yuri. We don't even know if the rest of the world is alive."

I sighed.

After we packed, we headed up onto the roof of the library, which was easy, since it was flat. We stood by a radio which Chris had taken from the truck's dashboard. Jean held the two-way radios in his hands and we desperately tried to pick up something,  _anything_. We walked around the rooftops waving our devices. We adjusted the signal of the radio very carefully. We held it up, we timed our signal changes. Nothing was working.

"I don't know what else we can do," Viktor huffed. We were all getting very frustrated. "Shall I try my cellphone?"

"Yeah," I said. "Call a help hotline."

Viktor held his cellphone by his ear and we all waited longingly. All you could hear was the dial tone - it was so quiet we could hear the horde all the way at the other side of the field. Chris and Jean sat down, their fists clenched. I stood nearby as we waited. If the dial tone was working, surely Viktor could connect somewhere.

"Shit," he hissed. "Fuck, I almost had something."

"You did?" I beamed. "Try again."

Viktor huffed. "Really? It's just going to do the same thing."

"Wait," Christophe said, picking up the radio. He unplugged the wire and stuck it into the two-way. Then, he connected it to Viktor's cellphone. "We could use Viktor's signal and the radio's communication service."

We cycled through the channels, again and again, always coming back to where we started. We began to lose hope. We sat there, mindlessly flicking the switch, on and off, channel two, three four -

"Try channel 16, that one is for when you're stranded," Jean suggested. We all looked at him in shame.

"Fuck off, Jean, you could have told us this."

"I'm reading the manual!"

We turned to channel 16 and adjusted the frequency.

"Wait," Jean sighed. "That's for being lost at sea."

Viktor literally smacked Jean across the head. 

"Search and rescue is 406MHz," Jean winced, rubbing his head. "Try that. Does anyone know the coordinates."

"Oh, shit," Viktor sighed. "We're helpless and we need to get the fuck out of here."

Chris ran back inside while we waited impatiently. This was getting ridiculous. My skin was crawling with anticipation and I couldn't keep calm. It was a bad kind of excitement. After a couple of minutes, Chris came thundering back, carrying the map and compass.

"We're in Hasetsu," I reminded. The radio was still hacking. White noise was so irritating. I couldn't waste any more time. I was getting sick of seeing the horde in the field, and I definitely didn't want them to come up here. If they made their way into the library, we'd have to jump three storeys to get down.

"Latitude 32.6453 northing, longitude 130.9587 easting."

Chris took out a pen and wrote the coordinates down before we forgot.

"This is an SOS call from 32.6453N 130.9587E," Chris spoke into the radio. I didn't think that was how it worked. He repeated, around two more times.

Now, all we could do is wait.

* * *

The sun was going down and I kept my eye on the horde. It was close, but not as close as to becoming a threat. We went back indoors to have a bite to eat, rechecked our things, and sat in the bedroom for a while. The room seemed so empty now. Nothing was in the supply closet, or the shelves. I looked over to Viktor, who gave me a confident smile. Chris and Jean sat in silence.

"Nothing like wanting to go home," Chris laughed nervously. "I bet we stink."

"Mhm," Viktor nodded. "Let's go back up."

Even if we were hopeless, we still held up the radio for long periods of time, just wanting to get something,  _anything_ out of it. We held the signal on for such a long time. In the end, there wasn't any signal at all.

We sat down, staring at the ground. I felt tears roll down my cheeks. I didn't want to believe that the world was dying, too. I was wrong. Everyone is gone. I will have to live like this. I looked over to Viktor, whose smile had faded. I looked over to Christophe and Jean who looked melancholic. It was difficult to accept but I think we all did. We were going to die out here.

_"Hello, this is search and rescue, please repeat your coordinates."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :))) sorry for making you all sad
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> im not sorry


	46. Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're saved! It was about time.

We were completely gobsmacked. Someone had answered our call for help and we didn't know how to respond - we were all whooping and hollering on top of the roof of the library and Viktor broke down into tears. Tears of relief. Happy tears. I squeezed him close and smiled hard into his shoulder. That was it. We were really going home. As I consoled Viktor, Chris grabbed the radio and held it to his ear.

"Make them regret leaving us here," Viktor grinned, lovingly kissing my forehead. He picked me up and spun me, before planting me on the floor, and taking a massive breath of relief.

"We're at 32.6453N 130.9587E," Chris said. He repeated it twice, clearly giving the person on the other end of the line the message. He seemed to look back at us for a second before narrowing his eyes, probably to ensure validation.

"We have minor injuries," he explained. "There are four of us."

Jean grabbed his bag and clutched it close to him. Viktor and I did the same, waiting impatiently around Chris with baited breath.

"Four," he repeated. "We're world championship skaters and I'm missing an arm, cut us some slack."

Viktor laughed.

"32.6453N 130.9587E," Chris sighed. "Look, can you get us out of here or not? You've left us to rot."

We waited a little while Chris bargained with the search and rescue team on the other end of the line. We had no idea where they came from, just the fact that they had heard our SOS call and they now had our coordinates. Hopefully we could make a fire when they bring a rescue aircraft or something. Or flares.

"Alright, thank you so much," Chris smiled. He then placed the radio on the floor. "They're coming all the way from Russia, apparently. It took a while to coordinate the quickest response and they're coming all the way from  _fucking Russia_."

Viktor glared at Chris. "Be thankful you're getting rescued."

"I have nothing against Russia!" Chris chortled. "But they're sending a helicopter from there and I'm annoyed because it's gonna take so long."

"Let's just go inside to see if we have any flares in the first aid kit or something," Jean sighed, heading downstairs.

We rifled through every single box to see if we could find anything. Torches were the first thing we had in mind, so we grabbed the only ones we had - we had an extra due to Phichit's absence - and ran to the rooftop. We waited for hours. It was beginning to become dire if anything was going to come for us at all. Maybe Chris was just fucking with us.

* * *

He wasn't.

It was late at night, and freezing cold. We stood in the pitch dark with our torches off to reserve power. Viktor looped his arm around my waist and held me for a while. It felt warm, having his arm around me. Our hair blew around in the wind, messing up my view. Jean was half-asleep on the floor. Chris was sat near the radio in case there was anything else that needed to be said.

Viktor, on the other hand, squeezed me closely. I didn't know what to think when I got back. I didn't have a home any more, I'd just have to live in Russia, I guess. Or move to a different place completely. It's such a shame that I lost my home country due to that forbidden disease. I still had the medical file in my bag. One thing I didn't want to happen is for the more advanced society to test on Viktor - I wouldn't let that happen to him. I couldn't.

"Do you think it'll be different?" I muttered, looking up at Viktor. He shrugged.

"It might be," he replied, squeezing me closer. "Don't overthink it too much."

Suddenly, we heard the thunder of rotary blades, and suddenly, I couldn't wait to get off this rooftop. I couldn't wait to escape the horde in the field, or the stench of flesh. I wanted to eat my favourite meals again, walk in a crowded street, smell the fresh sea air without getting bombarded by fear.

We all lifted our torches in unison, flashing them at the helicopter approaching us. Chris and Jean kept cheering and screeching at the top of their lungs, and ran down the stairs to meet the aircraft which landed in the field. The gusts of wind the blades created blew my hair around and made me colder, but I didn't care a bit - I was getting out of here alive. Phichit would have loved to see this. 

After running for a short while, we reached the helicopter which landed uncomfortably close to the horde. We had to dart in there as fast as we could to prevent ourselves from getting bitten. And that's exactly what we did. Chris went first, and then Jean. Viktor climbed in last with his bag and we were all given headsets. The people piloting the helicopter were two males, and they seemed to recognise Viktor almost immediately.

"We thought everyone had left," one of them explained, lifting off the ground. I threaded my fingers through Viktor's and leaned my head on his shoulder. "It was awful of the world to forget about you. Did you have any more survivors?"

"No," Chris spoke up. "A member of our team was lost to a battle. As well as a few people we met along the way."

"What are their names? We ought to honour them out of respect." Their speech was thick with a Russian lilt.

Sadness hung over me like a cloud. Will I ever be able to enjoy skating again without Phichit? The horde below us started clawing at the landing skids, hitching a ride. This made it difficult for us to take off - the aircraft kept tipping one way, and then swerving to another.

"Yuri Plisetsky from Russia," I replied. "Phichit Chulanont from Thailand."

We finally left the ground. The helicopter was pretty bulky and from the outside it had bright, warning colours plastered along the front. It truly was search and rescue. We slowly watched Hasetsu become smaller beneath us, occasionally seeing a horde move along the street, or some wild animals coming out of a house. We flew by the Ice Castle and the hot spring. Viktor squeezed my hand. He knew.

We didn't know what to think of the rest of the world. We didn't think it changed that much.

"How long has it been since Japan was evacuated?" Viktor asked.

The pilot whistled. "A year."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> exams are going gr8 just one more week maybe


	47. Questions Needing Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Too much is going through Yuri's head and Viktor can't sleep.

"They weren't the only ones," Viktor mumbled. "Otabek Altin. Sara and Michele Crispino. Minami Kenjirou."

I swallowed, remembering the awful, disgusting image of Michele's remains, and the harrowing face of Sara, who we killed for her own sake. I clutched Viktor's hand tighter and leaned into his shoulder. I didn't know where to go where we landed. Maybe I'd have to catch another plane home, just like Jean and Christophe will. I was so uncomfortable in the helicopter already, but I really couldn't care less - I was getting out of this hellhole.

But a _year?_ I was absolutely shocked. The government - no, the entire world - had forgotten. Surely they'd notice that something was a little off with the latest Grand Prix. Although, it wasn't likely that any of us were due to skate any more.

Phichit's, Yuri's, Otabek's, Michele's, Minami's fans - they'd all be devastated. I couldn't imagine the horrible, crippling emotional pain they'd have to go through. Would the skating world be the same? I didn't think so. I didn't think it mattered any more.

The pilot seemed to nod. We flew over a small section of the ocean, watching the lights smear into a twinkling blur as we fluttered by. The amount of stress weighing me down had completely diminished into nothing. I didn't know what to feel. Should I be happy, or is that too selfish of me? Should I be mourning for the lives lost? It was hard to place myself in this new reality. I was going to live somewhere new, without the disease, with proper healthcare. Carrying a weapon wasn't necessary.

I'm going to end up rationing my food and water without realising  _I don't need to_. I won't have to scavenge. I forgot how to live like a normal person does. I felt sorry for Chris who had to get a prosthetic, but to be honest, he was smiling at the ocean below. The helicopter ride was quiet for the rest of the journey.

We all needed a well-earned shower.

* * *

The ride was longer than we thought it was, and we had no idea if the helicopter could yield this much power. It probably took them quicker because they set off from Vladivostok International Airport - which is odd - but Viktor reassured me after we noticed a couple of planes take off quite close to us. Chris and Jean had fallen asleep. I did too, against Viktor's chest. It was long and droning and occasionally I'd wake up to see the lights of Russia below, and Viktor gazing down, taking deep breaths. He probably wasn't ready either. I felt sorry for him.

The pilot told us we were heading to Moscow, hopefully, if the fuel tank was reliable. After a small surge of panic about crashing into a vulnerable city and instantaneously combusting on the ground, Viktor couldn't help but laugh.

"We're in a search and rescue helicopter, Yuri," he muttered, kissing my forehead tiredly. He held my hand and waited for me to calm down, before saying: "Go back to sleep."

"I think you need the sleep more than I do, Viktor," I replied. He shook his head.

"I can't sleep, Yuri," he whispered. "I just can't. My body won't let me any more. I'm so tired."

I looked up at him, purely alarmed. It wasn't possible that the disease was still in his body and I refused to believe just as such. Maybe he got nightmares. Or he was suffering from insomnia. It could be from the stress and anxiety that the sudden slap of reality gave him. Nevertheless, I brushed his hair away from his eyes and kissed his forehead delicately. It'd kill me from the inside knowing he was under such stress.

"When you finally get home in your own bed, perhaps you can get some proper rest," I suggested. Viktor sighed.

"I keep thinking about Makkachin. I keep thinking about everything that's happened and how much I've been hurt and how it could've been prevented if we had paid attention to the evacuation process."

"Why didn't you?"

"It was in Japanese, Yuri," Viktor chuckled, rather pitifully. "Furthermore, we were all in one hotel because we were all supposed to get a connected flight to France for another championship. The televisions weren't working. The airports had been shut down. Once we saw everyone was leaving, we couldn't ask them why."

Shivers rattled my spine. I couldn't think about the unbearable terror they would have been in. Phichit must have been over for the championship, too. It was so fucked up. I don't remember the evacuation; I must have been asleep or unconscious. How did I not know? Why didn't my family know?

My family. My dog. My best friend. My throat begin to tighten and suddenly it was the hotel scene all over again. My heart pounded out of my chest as I gripped it with sweating hands, breathing raggedly, nausea settling into my stomach like a brewing storm. I could have prevented this. I'm awful. My family could have survived, including Phichit.

Viktor darted forward as I curled over to face the floor, feeling claustrophobic, unable to breathe. I had no space. I felt his hand on my back but instead of soothing, it was like plenty of tiny, sharp nails digging into my skin.

"Yuri! Are you alright?!"

"Is he okay?" one pilot averted his vision to me as I tried not to  _hurl_. 

"I think, I think so," I heaved, tugging at my collar. We were so high from the ground. 

"Panic attack, maybe," Christophe yawned, "what an unfortunate wake-up call."

I put my head in my hands and stayed quiet for the rest of the journey, attempting to regulate my breathing, finding something to occupy my irrational, intrusive thoughts.

Finally, we'd arrived, and I wanted out. Viktor grabbed my hand as we walked down the cold runway, feeling a sense of false reality as we approached the airport. It didn't feel right for a helicopter to land here. The pilots gave us our suitcases and bags and the four of us cautiously made it towards the closest terminal.

"Viktor, Russia is so fucking cold," Jean's teeth chattered. "How the fuck do you live?!"

"Blankets, a warm bed," Viktor laughed. "We've landed at Domodedovo Moscow Airport. I come here all the time to fly across the world."

"Of course you do," Chris snorted. 

Soon enough, we were in the horribly-lit terminal, and just in time, too. The customs queue wasn't nearly as long as I thought it'd be. But one thing really did put me off.

There were people. Everywhere. Not dead.  _Alive_ , non-zombie, non-flesh-eating people. They were exchanging smiles and kisses and congratulating friends and welcoming partners home. Children ran around their jetlagged parents, clutching plane tickets. Men in suits were making phone calls here and there.

I saw a flash out of the corner of my eye, and when I saw Viktor's startled face, it wasn't hard to decipher what it was. There was another flash. And another. And they kept coming like blinding, frantic stars that drew closer, and closer -

"Don't look," Viktor mumbled, over the sounds of paparazzi screaming our names, Viktor's being the loudest, and the shutter of too many cameras. We were so skinny. All we were was bone. For once, I didn't want to live like this. I just wanted a nutritious meal and a bed that didn't smell like mould.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyy im back and probably will be for the next 11 weeks
> 
> im taking requests n stuff again!! <<3
> 
> also wow. i've reached 5k hits - if you have a bonus chapter idea, throw it at me.


	48. An Invitation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They escape the paparazzi and the airport, and Viktor is incredibly happy.

_"It's Viktor Nikiforov, Jean-Jacques Leroy, Christophe Giacometti, and Yuuri all in one place!"_

_"Turn around! Please!"_

_"Smile! You have to smile!"_

We made it through customs as quickly as possible, got patted down, searched, while fatigue hung over me like a cloud. It was cold in the airport too, but not as cold as outside, which I was thankful for. We hauled our belongings, yawning, feeling sore. I had blisters on my feet and I still felt sick from the helicopter journey. From here, I didn't know where to go. I didn't think any of us knew where to go. Christophe was missing an arm but it really didn't seem to affect his mood. He still had a bandage wrapped around it, fresh from the night before when we tried to locate the helicopter.

That seemed like a while ago.

"What now?" Chris asked. "I'll have to check if I still have my wallet from a year ago to catch a flight home."

"Should we get a hotel?" Jean asked. "I mean, not as bad as the one in Japan."

We walked out of the terminal, down escalators, through corridors to escape the paparazzi. A hotel seemed like the best choice if we didn't know where to go. However, I couldn't pay for anything, and that made me feel so guilty. All of my money was useless back in Japan, and it'd be useless here now. I checked in my bag to see if my wallet was in there, just in case.

It wasn't.

"Yeah," Viktor nodded. "I'll call for a taxi. I have my wallet and everything. I know of a good hotel we can stay in."

"Don't make it too expensive," I cringed, feeling my eyelids droop. "Just somewhere we can sleep."

"It's not too far away either," Viktor grinned, picking up his now-working cellphone. He spoke Russian down the line, and we stood against the window watching planes land and leave. It was still pretty dark out, and even if the sun rose, we'd sleep anyway. I think we were all looking forward to a good meal, too. However, knowing Viktor, he'd choose the most lavish place to recover from. But this will probably be only for one day or so, before we had to find somewhere to live. Chris, Jean and Viktor will all be returning to their own homes.

As I stared at my own reflection in the window, I felt so sluggish. The speakers would let out a deafening  _ding_ \- either it was loud or I was extremely tired - followed by a Russian sentence, then a French translation, an English translation...after a couple of repeats I couldn't listen. I was zoning out fast. I watched plane tyres hit the floor as the aircraft glided itself to a halt. The commotion behind me was loud. The wheels of suitcases clacked against the floor like tiny hooves.

It didn't seem real. None of it felt real. The only thing that seem to faze me was the paparazzi behind us, telling us to smile, to feature on their latest magazines and false tabloids that I didn't have an interest in any more. Yesterday I was scared that a horde was going to come and skin us alive. Today I can go home and work on new projects. Viktor can go back to skating, Jean can fly back to Canada and Chris can go to a good hospital.

I could get back into skating. But whenever I envisioned an ice rink in my head, my stomach curled. I kept thinking of all the bodily fluids on the rink back in Japan, where Viktor and I defeated those zombies. And where we lost Makkachin. I kept getting recurring images of dying, the zombies, their harrowing faces. Phichit in the fight. Watching him die. Seeing Yuri Plisetsky battered and bruised by a nail bat. My heart was pounding irregularly again. Sweat formed in my palms.

"Alright, I've got us a taxi waiting outside," Viktor said, turning to us. "I'll just go and shoo the paparazzi away."

While he went and talked to the paparazzi, rather forcefully, we hung about by the window again, itching to leave the airport. We noticed the pilots approach us and they handed us a business card.

"Please do not hesitate to call after leaving the airport or if you have any further worries about transferring from Japan," one said. "We respect that you've come from a dangerous place and we are able to handle your concerns."

"Thanks," Jean yawned, lazily tugging the card out of the pilot's grip. 

"Please also show this card if you are planning on going to a hospital, along with your passport," the other pilot explained. "Or another form of ID. It may help with insurance expenses."

"Thank you again," Chris grinned. "Glad we weren't completely forgotten."

The pilots laughed before leaving. I watched as Viktor pushed away cameras and rose his middle finger at anyone who dared to question him. It was smart, in a way - the pictures will be deemed as offensive and will probably not be used in any stupid tabloids. I remember when I used to buy all sorts of magazines just to see his face. Right now, he was being himself. The experiences he went through had just made him a little rougher. He was tired, and he wasn't dealing with anyone's bullshit.

* * *

 

It took an hour to reach Moscow Marriott Grand Hotel, and this was most certainly lavish and expensive, according to Viktor's tastes. He thanked the taxi driver and paid the price. Chris woke up Jean and we all got out into the cold night air, just about noticing the sun peek out from the horizon. Time wasn't a problem for now. We'd all sort out our sleep schedules some other time. I couldn't wait to get into a clean bed.

"Viktor," I muttered. "I said not expensive. How much did you pay for our room?"

"Oh, not much," he smiled weakly. There were dark bags under his eyes. "You're going to love it, Yuri. We have exclusive breakfast and a wonderful view. It has a pool, a spa, a gym, a hot tub, a bar - this is one of my favourite places, you won't be disappointed, Yuri."

I smiled. He really was trying. I couldn't believe he still had the energy to pay for it all and speak to so many hotel staff, but as we approached the door, I soon began to appreciate how much I had taken for granted before the apocalypse in Japan. The smell of the spa. The welcoming smiles of the staff. The gorgeous, mouth-watering scent coming from the restaurant. The sight of clean fountains, pristine-white staircases and glorious high-ceilings were merely to die for and I automatically knew why this was Viktor's favourite.

Upon checking in, he led us up the staircase until we reached the top, allowing room-service to handle our luggage as we climbed each floor with sore legs. As we ascended, I soon began to realise which room we had, and what luxuries Viktor was about to introduce us all to. I ought to pay him back when I found my bank account. The staff seemed to recognise Viktor as we walked through the halls and gave him a smile of disbelief. It  _had_ been a year, after all.

When we reached our room, Viktor gestured Chris and Jean to one side of the hall while he led me into the opposite. The room before us was gorgeous.

I gasped, embarrassingly loudly, as the staff placed our luggage on the bed. Viktor laughed at my response and turned to gaze across the room, sighing heavily. He thanked the staff and locked the door behind them, before grabbing my hands and pulling me onto the king-sized bed. He'd only gone and paid for a studio.

"Look at it," he sighed, "it's so spacious and the ceilings are so high. I missed the smell of this hotel. I didn't think I'd ever return."

Tears welled up in his ocean-blue eyes as he laughed to himself, jumping up on the bed, causing me to bounce a little. I looked up at him with a smile. He truly was happy. He was home. Viktor stood up as he smiled from ear-to-ear, jumping off the bed, tugging me towards the living room, touched the plasma TV as if he'd never seen one, all while talking as if he were hysterical. I couldn't help but smile and laugh along. 

"Tomorrow," he grinned, "tomorrow, Yuri, let's go to the gym! Get our hair done at the salon! Get in the pool!"

We both leaped onto the huge bed and jumped around as if we were five-year-olds, until we fell on top of each other, drowning in fits of giggles, almost forgetting the experiences we had entirely. We survived. We were alive. We'd made it.

After gaining our breath back and stripping to our underwear, we turned off the light and shimmied into the thick sheets, huddling together for warmth like penguins. Viktor couldn't wipe the smile from his face. I rested my head upon his warm chest and delicately ran my fingers over his scars. His fingers threaded through my hair, causing me to shiver, but I was so happy.

"Live with me after this has all died down, Yuri," Viktor whispered suddenly, startling me out of falling asleep. I froze for a moment.

"Huh?" I barely opened my eyes. I was struck with the scent of clean sheets.

"Come back to Saint Petersburg with me," he whispered. "Back to where my home rink is. I want you to live with me."

I looked up at him with a wide smile and allowed him to pull me in, catching my quivering lips in a warm, slow kiss.

I was crying out of joy. I think I'm going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a long chapter to make up for my loss! i think there could be more fluff/domestic viktuuri for the next couple of chapters but if you dont like that, then dont read on, kiddos.
> 
> thank you for all the hits and kudos, the story isn't over yet! <3


	49. Breakfast in Bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A good breakfast can cure bad nightmares.

Their soulless eyes and deep sockets weren't the only thing that terrified me. The animalistic strength in their jaws that were capable of crushing a human skull since the endorphins released acted like painkillers, so strain wasn't a problem to them. I stared, paralyzed, glued to the floor. My muscles had frozen and were immovable. Despite opening my mouth to scream, I didn't make a sound. Why? Why couldn't I call for help?

There were so many of them, all moving menacingly slowly, but others I knew were faster than I was, even though I couldn't bring myself to run. Where was Viktor? Where was Jean? Christophe? Phichit? I didn't dare to look at the horde as they approached. It was night time. It was difficult to see with just a flashlight.

Until I saw - the silver, matted hair of Viktor and his broken jaw, the harrowing limp Jean manoeuvred with, and Chris crawling haggardly across the floor. They had all turned, all of them, including Phichit, with the gunshot wound in his head and chest. I opened my mouth once again to try and call for help, and this time, something did come out.

"Yuri!" Viktor breathed, rushing into the room wearing a white fluffy gown and hopping onto the bed to kneel beside me. I bolted upright, drenched in sweat from head to toe as I screamed bloody murder, unable to get those images out of my head. Trauma had completely taken over and suddenly, I was unable to control my breathing. I felt shame. Guilt. Fear. Fear and adrenaline. I didn't want to look at him in case he was missing something, or he felt a different way.

"Yuri, it's me!" his brow furrowed as I clutched my chest. "You're in Russia now, we're safe."

No matter how hard he tried to calm me down, I ended up bursting into scared, anxious tears, slumping into his shoulder until he held me. My nose found his neck and I didn't stop sobbing for about ten minutes. I didn't even have a concept of time.

"Shh," Viktor whispered, affectionately rubbing my back. "You're safe. We're all going to go to a doctor to get a checkup to see if we're okay. We're miles away from Japan, now, Yuri."

I flinched at the word 'Japan,' knowing I'd never return. His gown was so fluffy and warm. He untied the bow at the front and wrapped it around me, both of us as close as possible, sharing our warmth. His fingers trailed through my hair delicately as I stopped crying. I managed to control my breathing and my heart slowed down to a normal rate. Viktor wiped my tears with his thumbs and kissed my forehead.

"Room-service will bring up -"

"What time is it?" I asked, then apologising for interrupting.

"It is ten o'clock in the morning. Saturday the ninth of September," Viktor said, glancing at his phone. "Today it'll be warmer than yesterday."

I felt a sense of grounding, finally knowing where I am in the world. "And we're in Moscow."

"We're in Moscow." Viktor nodded. "Room-service will bring up breakfast right about now, is there anything else you'd like to do? Maybe go and see Jean and Christophe?"

Their distorted faces appeared in my mind again, and I shook my head. "I'd like to avoid them for the day if that's okay with you."

Viktor nodded and walked to the bathroom as I settled back down in bed. He came back with another robe and wrapped it around me, tying it at the front. He then led down beside me and passed me my phone.

"I'd better add your number, Yuri, we're not communicating through radios any more," he explained. We exchanged numbers, but it was impossible to get my trauma out of my head.

"Please don't mention that for a while," I murmured. "I want to try and rebuild my life. Did you sleep at all?"

"Yeah. I had a couple of dreams but nothing as terrifying as yours," Viktor replied.

Room-service arrived with breakfast, and it all looked extremely appetising. Some of the foods I'd seen I hadn't eaten in a year, and others were native to the country, and I wanted to try. We thanked the staff and locked the door behind them. Silver plates and dishcovers reflected the light of the chandelier. Viktor crawled to the end of the bed and pushed the cart of food over to us. The cart had three shelves for small loaves of bread, butter, glasses, drinks and fruit marmalade. The hot food was within the cover as Viktor lifted it, and it had so much on there, I didn't know where to start. The smell was enough to make my stomach growl.

"Someone's hungry," Viktor laughed, passing me a plate. I helped myself to everything on there and reintroduced my tastebuds to new flavours that I hadn't experienced in a while. Viktor let out a content, satisfied groan as he ate. We couldn't slow down. My jaw began to ache but that was the latter of my problems.

"What did you want to do today?" Viktor mumbled, his mouth full of buttered toast. 

"Shower," I replied, swallowing something resembling a cake or dumpling. "Maybe swim, like you said. What's this?"

I pointed at my plate at the other 'dumplings' left. It tasted like cheese but it was served with fruit, which was contrary, but delicious nonetheless.

"Syrniki," Viktor pouted. "I don't like it."

"Can I have yours?"

"Knock yourself out."

As I finished my breakfast and became so full I felt as if I'd burst, we placed the empty dishes back on the tray cart. It felt amazing to have a full stomach and to eat something to tantalising, and this was only breakfast.

"What's in Syrniki?" I asked, laying my head upon his chest. I discovered that it was my favourite place. 

"You might call them cheese dumplings," Viktor explained. "Just cottage cheese, egg and flour. My parents used to make it."

"So, if you don't like Syrniki," I looked up. "What's your favourite meal?"

"Back in Japan some time ago I really loved sweet potato shōchū," he sighed. "I'd love to eat that again."

"We could find a recipe, maybe," I suggested. "My favourite food is a rich dish of breaded pork cutlet and that's the reason why I couldn't skate anymore."

Viktor giggled. "Did you want to try skating again?"

I shrugged. Really, I didn't know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad I'm getting so much support omfgilyguyssomuch <333


	50. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Almost everything is settled, and Viktor wants a new puppy.

We took full advantage of the gym, the pool, and the salon. We got fresh haircuts and we finally looked human again. Long, clean showers were all it took to get the gross layer of grime off our skin. Viktor started smelling sweeter. His stubble disappeared as we managed to purchase decent razors to get rid of facial hair, which was Christophe's idea. Viktor made us get our eyebrows done so we'd get an 'uplifting' feel - I didn't know what he meant by that because he always looked fine anyway, but I went along with it, because we were all having fun.

We stayed in the hotel for two more nights. I had gotten used to the people around me and even went to see Jean and Christophe after my horrible nightmare. I felt significantly less nervous, but from time to time, Viktor would know I'd needed consoling, and he'd hold my hand just to make sure I was alright. I had truly fallen in love with him and not just for survival. I saved his life and he saved mine. I couldn't have been here without him, and he could say the same for me too. I couldn't wait to settle back into normal life.

I really wanted to get back into my skating regime after I had grieved for everyone we lost - the names of our friends appeared in the newspaper and on the television. We were taken one day from the hotel to the local radio station for a small interview, which was with our total consent. It felt good to speak about what had happened, our injuries, and the hosts were very respectful too. They avoided potentially damaging questions and didn't push us when we refused to answer. We grieved. We mourned. Phichit is still in my mind all day, every day, and he's definitely in a better place now.

I got a hold of my bank account and Viktor checked his. All we needed was a sense of grounding and to get used to the society we were reintroduced to. I had certainly missed it. I thought we were all doomed, and although that seems very extravagant, we all did. We texted distant friends to remind them we were alright. I discussed with Viktor about having a memorial service for my parents, which he completely agreed with. And for Phichit, too. And for Yuri, Otabek, and even Minami. The Crispino twins were notified, and although their parents shared their deepest sorrows, they were grateful that they knew we knew.

I unpacked my skates from the bag and gave them a thorough clean, handling them with latex gloves. Viktor sifted through his mail, muttering Russian curses under his breath. They were bills and sponsors, I assumed. After calling them and paying them, reminding every single one of them that he was alive, he then attended to his own chores. The apartment was spacious and had a balcony overlooking the town of Saint Petersburg. Chris and Jean were still hanging around in a hotel somewhere booking flights. We said our goodbyes - we were bound to see them within the next year.

The speaker in the kitchen played soothing classical music as I sat on the floor and unpacked my belongings. My skates got placed on a shelf beside Viktor's, and they now had the scent of lemon antibacterial spray - which was better than decomposing flesh. It was hard to believe that only last week we had experienced that. I felt as if I had changed completely. Viktor kept a picture of Makkachin in his wallet, but kept his bed, food, and toys. He was thinking about getting a puppy.

"Yuri," he called, walking back into the living room, clutching his phone. "I've scheduled a doctor's appointment for both of us to have a checkup and to refer us to a therapist."

"A therapist?" I raised an eyebrow, slumping back onto the sofa. Viktor sat down beside me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into him.

"Yep," he nodded. "I'm getting nightmares. You're getting nightmares. If we're both feeling on edge and anxious all the time, I think it's for the best."

"You don't think," I muttered, "that we could have PTSD maybe? Or some form?"

"That's why I booked us in," Viktor smiled sympathetically. "And, we'd rather be okay before getting on the ice, if at all. I know we're both capable of getting through this, but you've seen my scars, Yuri. Christophe needs to have his arm seen by a proper doctor. I still have to check whether I still have some of the strain in me."

I squeezed him tighter and planted a kiss on his cheek. "I think you'll be okay."

His ocean eyes seemed calm and tired. We both were. Exhaustion was one of the many things after moving back in. It was almost nine o'clock in the evening; we'd had takeout for dinner and unpacked all afternoon. Viktor almost lost his apartment key and debit card. I misplaced my glasses and found them after an hour. It was all very hectic, but for now, we had settled. The television volume was low, the lighting was dim.

Viktor found a blanket and pulled it onto the couch, before pulling me in with it. He clutched me tighter than ever before and suddenly I realised how grateful I was to be back with him, safe and sound. It was hard to believe he almost killed me before, but now, I'd doubt he'd even harm a fly. His nose was nestled into my hair and his kisses tasted like the coffee we'd had earlier that day. I put my glasses on the coffee table and nuzzled my face into his warm chest. We were both wearing his turtlenecks.

I didn't realise what 'safe' really felt like up until now. But if this is what home was going to be, I could get used to it very quickly.

* * *

After a small nap, I woke up to Viktor on his iPad, obscuring my view of his face. I scooted up, resting the back of my head on his chest so I could see. He was looking at nearby kennels and shelters at poodles and other big, fluffy dogs to fill the apartment with even more joy. I felt the breath from his nose tousle my hair. The warmth of the blanket was comforting and homely. Viktor kissed the top of my head and tapped on a female poodle, just like Makkachin, named Daisy. She'd had eight puppies. I felt Viktor smile.

"Look how cute," Viktor purred, just like a child. "A girl or a boy, Yuri? What would you name her? Him?"

Although the thought of having a tiny puppy bounding around the apartment was a good idea, I was tired, and Viktor sounded raspy too. I pawed at the iPad and turned it off, carrying it with me to the bedroom. With a loud whine, Viktor sulked behind me, draping the blanket around his shoulders.

"Would another little boy make you happy?" Viktor smiled. "It could be our little therapy dog for the times where we can't cope, or we've had a bad session and we need something to hug, or we could walk it in the snow, and spoil it, and buy it toys, and -"

"Viktor," I laughed, stripping to just the turtleneck and boxers. It was too comfy to take off. "It's almost eleven at night. Let's have a look tomorrow and sort out the hospital expenses first. We're still kinda fucked."

We made it into bed before fainting with exhaustion, huddling together under the sheets, wrapping our arms around each other, discussing puppy names, despite the fact I told Viktor 'no.' I couldn't believe how happy I was. Maybe I could do a pair skate with him, or compete with him - I was his best friend and soulmate. After what we went through, we were inseparable. I cherished every kiss and hug I was given, and made sure to give Viktor double. He deserved it. 

"Do you regret meeting me?" I asked. "Do you regret having sex in the mall?"

Viktor laughed. "No, not at all. Why?"

"No reason," I smiled. It was a smile so big my cheeks began to hurt. I squeezed him closer, burying my nose into his secure, safe neck. We were far away from all of that now, with the world as what we made it. We had plans. Big plans. But first, we just had to check on Chris and Jean, have check-ups, vaccines, and a couple more interviews. I couldn't wait to get back on the rink, and I knew Viktor couldn't either.

"I love you," Viktor whispered, kissing my forehead, his slender fingers brushing my hair as I felt my eyelids droop. "I can't thank you enough, you know. You've done everything for me and I'm so grateful, Yuri. We'll get better, I promise. And then we can skate our hearts out at the next world championship."

"I'm grateful for you saving Phichit and I," I replied, unable to wipe the smile off my face. "Even though he's not with us, I know he'd be proud of us, Viktor."

"You didn't say it back," Viktor wore a smug grin.

"Didn't say what back?" I blushed. I knew what he meant.

"Well, I can't say it back," he laughed. "And we can visit Phichit's family if you'd like."

"Maybe," I sighed, kissing the scar on his cheek. "Would they hate me?"

"I doubt it," Viktor replied, and then returned to pestering me. I was too bashful. Sleep, Yuri. "Yuri..."

"I lo..." I muttered, squeezing his chest.

"Huh?" Viktor grinned. "Who's the zombie here? Who saved your life?"

"I love - _nooo!_ Viktor that's cheating!"

"Then say it and I'll stop tickling you."

I sighed, still giggling, my stomach hurting from his skilled fingers. "I love you too."

"Good," Viktor smiled. "Christophe is getting on his plane tomorrow, I think. He's getting checked back at his hometown."

"What about Jean?" I asked.

"He's flying back within this week. I think he wants to sort things out with sponsors before he gets a plane home and realises how much work he has to do."

"What about you?" I asked.

"I have you, don't I?"

After what we had experienced, I didn't even need to doubt.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading, ahhh <3333
> 
> I figured I'd stop this because I am planning to publish a fic within this week or so - featuring Klance, high school, the soulmate AU, and the Hanahaki Disease - I hope some of you will join me :"))
> 
> If you'd like some more instalments for this fic, for example some 'what ifs' or 'what happened to...' drop me a comment and I'll see what I can do! I may return to this fic and drop in some smut or skating championship anecdotes.
> 
> Thank you so much for all the lovely comments, suggestions and kudos; the support I've had is amazing :")
> 
> I also had some amazing [fanart](https://pixelpearl.tumblr.com/post/162519173763/tysm-gohannismyboyfriiend-for-my-fanfiction) which I love aaaaa tysm ily <3333
> 
> PLEASE hop over to see me on my [tumblr](https://pixelpearl.tumblr.com/) because I'm planning to make concept character art for the Klance fic - and more shinanigans!
> 
> Thank you again, I'm sorry for making you all cry and such :")


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